Etihad adds Red Sea route from October

Etihad Airways will begin year-round flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport on October 4, adding a sixth destination in the kingdom to the carrier’s network.

The service will initially operate once a week before increasing to twice weekly from October 25, Etihad said. The route will be flown with an Airbus A320 configured with eight Business Class seats and 150 Economy Class seats, linking Abu Dhabi with the tourism hub in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province in just over three hours.

The new connection will give passengers across Etihad’s network access to the Red Sea through a single transfer at Abu Dhabi, including travellers originating in the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent. It also expands the airline’s Saudi network beyond Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Al Qassim.

Etihad chief executive Antonoaldo Neves said the route would bring a destination known for islands, reefs and coastal resorts within short-haul reach of Abu Dhabi. He said the airline was seeking to position itself early in destinations where it expected demand to grow as new tourism infrastructure comes on stream.

Red Sea International Airport serves The Red Sea, a tourism development on Saudi Arabia’s north-western coast that is being built around islands, coastal landscapes and inland desert areas. The airport has been designed as the principal aviation gateway to resorts being developed across the destination and has gradually added domestic and international links as hotel capacity expands.

Etihad’s entry adds another direct international connection for the airport and strengthens air access from the UAE, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest regional travel markets. The airline said Saudi Arabia already represents one of its biggest markets in the region, spanning business, family and religious travel, while the Red Sea service adds a leisure-focused destination to that mix.

The timing of the launch also places the service ahead of the northern hemisphere winter travel season, when demand from Gulf residents for short leisure breaks typically rises. Etihad said the route would operate throughout the year rather than as a seasonal service.

Bookings have opened on the airline’s website. Etihad’s fare listings on Sunday showed return Economy Class travel from Abu Dhabi to the Red Sea for October 4 to October 11 starting at AED2,980, although the airline notes that displayed fares are collected over a limited period and can change before purchase.

The airline’s expansion comes as Saudi Arabia continues to increase aviation capacity around tourism projects linked to its economic diversification programme. Red Sea International Airport began handling flights as resorts in the area opened in phases, creating a direct gateway intended to reduce the need for lengthy road transfers from established airports elsewhere in the kingdom.

For Etihad, the service extends a broader network expansion centred on Abu Dhabi, where the carrier has been adding destinations and frequencies as passenger traffic grows. The Red Sea route is comparatively limited at launch, with one weekly rotation, allowing the airline to build demand before doubling frequency later in October.

The carrier has not announced a further increase beyond the twice-weekly schedule from October 25. Its published plan specifies a year-round operation, giving the route continuity through winter and summer while retaining a relatively low initial frequency.

The Red Sea destination covers more than 90 islands off Saudi Arabia’s north-western coast, with coral reefs, lagoons, mangroves and mountainous inland terrain forming part of the area being developed for tourism. Access is being expanded alongside the opening of resorts, with the airport serving as the main arrival point for visitors travelling by air.