Top 3 Headlines
Al Jouf International Airport opens with Saudia’s first landing
Saudi Arabia’s new Al Jouf International Airport began operations on 26 February, marking the full transfer of services from the previous facility. The first arrival, operated by Saudia, was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute. Affiliated with the Second Airports Cluster, the airport increases annual capacity to 1.6 million passengers, up from 175,000 at the old airport (an expansion of more than 800%). The 24,000 sqm terminal includes 16 check-in counters, 11 departure and arrival gates, dual passport control counters and 648 parking spaces.
The facility also features sensory rooms for passengers with autism and disabilities, 1,700 sqm of commercial space, and 5,000 sqm of landscaped green areas inspired by Al Jouf’s olive-growing heritage.
Riyadh Air adds Cairo as a third destination, signalling ramp-up to launch
Riyadh Air has confirmed Cairo as its next route, planning a daily Riyadh-Cairo service alongside the recently-announced London-Heathrow and Dubai services, as the start-up continues to stack up network announcements ahead of full commercial operations. Guests travelling to and from Egypt can enjoy free high speed Wi-Fi by joining the Sfeer loyalty program.
Etihad posts record 2025 profit as expansion momentum continues
Etihad Airways reported its strongest annual performance on record, with post-tax profit recorded as AED 2.6 billion ($698 million) showing a 47% increase. Demand trends are reportedly described as particularly robust in premium cabins underscoring the carrier’s continued fleet/network growth strategy as it adds capacity and restores widebody assets. This comes as passenger numbers increase 21% (YoY) to 22.4 million.
Noteworthy
- Air Arabia will launch daily non-stop Sharjah-Rome flights from 1 July 2026, making Rome its second Italian destination from Sharjah (after Milan Bergamo) and strengthening its value-led Europe connectivity play for UAE outbound demand.
- Etihad has been named an Official Partner of McLaren Racing for the 2026 season, tying the airline brand to high-visibility global sports marketing, an area where Gulf carriers continue to compete aggressively for premium attention.
- Royal Air Maroc has advised that, effective 25 February 2026, its Riyadh (RUH) operations will move to Terminal 5, a practical ops update for trade and corporate travel handlers managing KSA itineraries.
- Jazeera Airways has rolled out a buy-now-pay-later option (BNPL) through deema positioning payment flexibility as a competitive lever in Kuwait’s price-sensitive market and potentially pressuring peers to match fintech-enabled checkout options.
- Etihad announced it will deploy the Airbus A380 to Bangkok from 25 October 2026, extending the superjumbo’s redeployment strategy and sharpening competitive positioning on a key leisure-and-premium trunk route.
- flydubai reported profit before tax of AED 2.2 billion for FY2025, citing record passenger numbers of 15.7 million passengers across 140 destinations.
