The Middle East aviation industry is thriving, with Oman Air and flynas launching new routes, Etihad introducing sustainable A350 aircraft, and partnerships emerging between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia. Airports like Bahrain International and Antalya are also expanding and receiving awards, while Saudi Arabia promotes competition with a new charter air carrier license tender.

Saudia collabs with designed Elie Saab amid top honours at the 2025 World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo

Saudia swept top honours at the 2025 World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo, receiving a TravelPlus Five Star Airline Amenities rating and achieving: 

• The new Elie Saab premium amenity kits won Gold Awards for Business Class (Middle East), First Class Unisex Kit (Middle East), and Business Class: Amenity Kit Program for the Rest of the World. 
• Saudi Coffee Cup glassware won Gold for First Class. 
• New cabin crew uniforms received Highly Commended in the Best Service Equipment category.

Behind some of the awards is iconic designer Elie Saab who has collaborated with Saudia to create a premium amenity kit for Saudia’s business and first‑class passengers, featuring quilted faux‑leather vanity cases for women and pebble‑grain travel pouches for men. The collection includes a face mist, hand and body lotion, and a bespoke Eau de Toilette. 

KSA signs air transport deal and expands Air Connectivity Program 

The Kingdom’s Air Connectivity Programme added over 700,000 seats in Q1 2025 to boost Umrah and visit travel, and is targeting 2.5 million seats by year‑end, with a focus on Madinah linkages. New services include a Stuttgart-Jeddah Umrah route, Eurowings flights alongside Berlin and Cologne links, Transavia’s Paris/Lyon-Jeddah services, and a daily London Gatwick-Madinah service from August. To date, 12 new carriers and 20 routes have brought 1.5 million seats to the Kingdom.

Meanwhile at the ICAO Facilitation Conference in Doha, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority finalised bilateral service agreements with Liberia, Grenada, Samoa, Fiji and Ecuador to strengthen safety and security standards and broaden flight connectivity between the Kingdom and its partners. 

SalamAir increases Muscat-Salalah flights as Middle East airports look to get $240 billion infrastructure boost

SalamAir has announced fixed fares and a capacity boost on its Muscat-Salalah route for the 2025 Khareef season (30 June 31 August). The airline’s new Lite fare will be OMR 30 ($77.93) one‑way and OMR 48 return, while overall seat capacity on the route will increase by 50% compared to 2024. 

This comes at a time when airports in the Asia‑Pacific and Middle East are set to receive a $240 billion infrastructure investment ($136 billion for modernisation and expansion, and $104 billion for building new airports). The funding will add capacity for 1.24 billion passengers and 71 million tonnes of cargo.

Air Arabia goes organic while flyadeal gets sustainable

Sharjah’s Agricultural and Livestock Production Establishment (EKTIFA) and Air Arabia have signed an agreement to offer EKTIFA’s locally produced organic goods aboard flights and in Sharjah Airport lounges. Sparked by a passenger’s video request, the initiative launches with infant formula and long‑life organic milk, with plans to broaden the range. 

Meanwhile flyadeal has selected new, lighter cabin interiors for its 51‑strong Airbus A320neo/A321neo fleet, due from Q3 2026, to boost sustainability and passenger comfort. These upgrades cut aircraft weight, fuel burn, and emissions, while supporting the carrier’s growth to over 100 aircraft by 2030.

Earlier this week…

Oman Air to commence services to Amsterdam

Oman Air is launching direct flights between Muscat and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, marking its 11th European destination, starting 1 July. The flights will operate four times a week on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This new route is a significant milestone in strengthening ties between Oman and the Netherlands, with benefits for both countries’ economies and travellers. Oman Air’s CEO, Con Korfiatis, said the airline is focused on destinations that align with its strategic goals and offer opportunities for tourism and business exchange. The route will also grant access to the oneworld Lounge at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for premium passengers, following Oman Air’s upcoming join to the oneworld Alliance.

New flynas flights from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi and summer 2025 routes

flynas has launched a new direct route between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, operating three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from King Khalid International Airport to Shaikh Zayed International Airport. With this expansion, flynas is currently the only Saudi carrier serving all four major UAE airports from its hubs in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Madinah.

The carrier has also launched its four new summer destinations (Geneva, Switzerland; Krakow, Poland; Milan, Italy; and Rize, Turkiye). The seven new summer routes include Riyaydh – Geneva, Krakow, Milan and Rise; and Jeddah – Rize, El Alamei and Al Baha. The carrier has also reinstated the Jeddah-Bodrum route, which was paused last year. 

Etihad’s welcomes A350 into growing fleet amid solid passenger growth and summer sale

Etihad Airways reported solid growth in March, flying 1.6 million passengers, a 14% increase compared to last year. The airline achieved an 87% passenger load factor in Q1, up slightly from 86%, while expanding its operating fleet by 10%. Included in the expansion was the latest state-of-the-art A350, making it the sixth to be added into its fleet. 

The sustainable aircraft features award-winning flying experiences and Business Class features including wireless charging, in-flight entertainment, privacy-focused sliding doors, lower emissions and smaller noise footprint than older models. Etihad is also still running its largest annual summer sale, offering discounts of up to 30% on flights for bookings until 18 April (covering travel from 1 May to 30 September 2025).

Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways’ new dining program

Following their partnership announced last week, Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia have launched a complimentary dining program for Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Velocity Frequent Flyer members travelling between Doha and Australia. Starting 12 June 2025, the “Dine on Us” program will automatically give eligible passengers dining vouchers worth USD 20 when they add their loyalty numbers during booking or check-in. The vouchers can be used at over 50 dining outlets at Hamad International Airport. 

Media and digital transformation deal for Kuwait Airlines

Kuwait Airways has teamed up with FASTtelco, a subsidiary of Ooredoo Kuwait, to boost its in-flight entertainment and strengthen public-private sector collaboration. The partnership will integrate curated digital content from Platform 51 into the airline’s entertainment system, promoting Kuwait’s rich cultural and digital heritage. The aim is to expand the region’s national media reach to passengers around the world. 

Bristol Airport welcomes Pegasus Airlines to Türkiye and Dubai

From 8 July, Pegasus Airlines, will launch a three per week service from Bristol Airport to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. This new route not only opens up direct travel to Türkiye but also offers connecting services to destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. The new service is expected to boost inbound tourism and expand affordably international connectivity options for the region. 

IndiGo goes to Fujairah

IndiGo has launched daily direct flights from Mumbai and Kannur to Fujairah, UAE, starting the 15 and 16 May. This addition marks IndiGo’s 41st international destination and its fifth in the UAE. The airline will also further enhance regional connectivity with dedicated bus services linking to Dubai and Sharjah. 

Matarat and SITA drive digital transformation 

Matarat Holding has signed an MoU with air transport technology provider SITA to accelerate the digital transformation of Saudi airports. The partnership will implement smart, scalable technologies such as facial recognition, biometric systems, AI-driven security, smart gates, and real-time flight tracking across the 27 airports operated by Matarat’s subsidiaries. This includes major hubs in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, as well as 22 regional airports.

Trio of wins for BIA including World’s Cleanest Airport at Skytrax 2025

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) went home with three wins at the 2025 Skytrax World Airport Awards, being named the “World’s Cleanest Airport” (for those handling up to 25 million passengers annually), “Middle East’s Cleanest Airport,” and the “World’s Best Airport Serving 5-10 Million Passengers.” Additional accolades included rankings for immigration service, baggage delivery, and family-friendly amenities.

Jazeera Airways’ ‘Summer Experiences’ campaign 

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways, has launched its largest-ever summer campaign, “Summer Experiences,” offering 700,000 seats and new direct routes. The campaign, designed with a strong emotional appeal that the journey is as important as the destination will have nationwide activations from ads to bus wraps. 

Antalya airport expansion completed

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the newly expanded Antalya Airport, which is now capable of handling up to 82 million passengers annually. The expansion, completed through a public-private partnership valued at approximately $1.05 billion, was carried out at no cost to the state budget. During his speech he announced two more airports in central Yozgat and northeastern Bayburt-Gumushane, are under construction, increasing the country’s active airports from 58 to 60.

Saudi encourages air carrier competition

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has launched a public tender for a national charter air carrier license. The tender, which runs from 13 April to 21 May with bids to be opened on 22 May in Riyadh, invites private operators to offer non-scheduled air services. This initiative aims to enhance service quality and competitiveness and follows a February policy shift that lifted cabotage restrictions for foreign charter operators on domestic routes.