Riyadh Airports Company (RAC), which manages and operates Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (KKIA), has announced the inauguration of a new air route between Riyadh and Beijing, in cooperation with China Southern Airlines.
This followed the efforts of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to achieve the objectives of the National Aviation Strategy by increasing the number of destinations and passengers in KSA airports and enhancing air connectivity in Saudi Arabia. GACA recently announced clearance for China Southern Airlines to operate regular flights (passengers and cargo) between the People’s Republic of China and Saudi Arabia to and from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Riyadh. Starting from Tuesday (16 April), four commercial flights for passengers and three cargo flights will be operating during the summer season of 2024.
“The inauguration of the new route reflects RAC’s commitment to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030”
The CEO of RAC, Ayman Abdulaziz AboAbah said: “The inauguration of the new route reflects RAC’s commitment to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and enhancing the efforts made to directly connect KSA and China to attract more Chinese tourists to visit Saudi tourist destinations and get acquainted with investment opportunities.
“This cooperation between RAC and China Southern Airlines is a result of the Saudi aviation system’s deserved achievements, most recently KKIA obtaining the ‘Welcome Chinese’ certification last July, which was a factor that assisted in the success of the cooperation,” he concluded.
China Southern Airlines is affiliated with China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, which specializes in air transportation services and is headquartered in Guangzhou. It operates more than 943 planes carrying passengers and cargo, which makes its air fleet rank as the first in Asia.