Manchester airport is to regain its direct service to Saudi Arabia next year, according to reports from the Middle East.
Flag carrier Saudia will resume flying to Manchester in 2014 as part of an expansion programme that will also see the airline launch routes to Toronto later this year and Los Angeles in mid-2014.
In an interview with Arab News, the carrier’s director general Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Molhem, said the airline would serve the Northern UK city. He not specify which city in Saudi Arabia it would operate to or whether the service would be non-stop, but it is most likely to be Riyadh. The airline’s previous Manchester flight there operated via Zurich.
BBT was unable to contact Saudia in London. A Manchester airport spokeswoman said: “We have had no official confirmation, but there maybe something later in the year.”
Saudia is undergoing an expansion and fleet renewal programme after joining SkyTeam in mid-2012. It is also upgrading Riyadh’s King Khaled International airport, building two new terminals. The $800 million project will boost capacity by 10 million passengers a year to around 25 million.