According to Arabian Business, Saudi Arabia’s $500bn giga-project NEOM is considering the launch of its own international carrier.
This airline would follow on from Saudia and the soon-to-be-launched RIA and it would position the spectacular destination as a hub for international tourists, with direct flights to cities in Europe and Asia. The mega-city will cover a total area of 26,500sq km and extend 170km along the coast of the Red Sea.
“This comes down to geography and demand. NEOM basically sits in between three continents, and you can reach 40 per cent of the world in a maximum of four hours flying time. Given the immense scale of this project and how it is envisaged to become one of the tourist capitals of the world, having a dedicated airline that basically just flies to NEOM and back makes a lot of strategic sense,” a source said, adding: “The issue for now is how this all fits into the current vision of having two carriers, Saudi and RIA.”
