Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
KSA’s ACP aims to reach 2.5m seats by end of 2025: CEO
Air Connectivity Programme (ACP) Chief Executive Majid Khan announced the addition of over 700,000 seats to support Umrah and visit capacity, with a target of reaching 2.5 million seats by the end of 2025.
Air Connectivity Programme (ACP) Chief Executive Majid Khan stated that ACP has added over 700,000 seats to support Umrah and visit capacity through the first quarter of 2025, reported SPA.
He affirmed that ACP’s target is to reach 2.5 million seats by the end of 2025, with a focus on enhancing air connectivity to Madinah from global markets.
His remarks came during the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum (UZF) organised by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah at the King Salman International Convention Center in Madinah.
He noted that ACP targets key source markets, including Europe, Gulf countries, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Indonesia in line with the National Tourism Strategy.
He indicated that Saudi Arabia is set to launch a new air route this year—the third dedicated to Umrah and visit travel from Germany— specifically from Stuttgart to Jeddah.
He also noted that several new airlines, including Eurowings, have been introduced for Umrah and visit travel from Europe, along with two new routes launched last year: Berlin and Cologne to Jeddah.
Moreover, he said that French airline Transavia will launch new flights from the Paris area to Jeddah, and from Lyon to Jeddah. Starting in August, he added, a daily flight from London Gatwick Airport to Madinah will commence, generating approximately 180,000 seats.
Earlier this year, ACP announced its success in attracting 12 airlines and adding 20 new routes to the Kingdom, totaling 1.5 million seats. The most recent airlines attracted include ITA Airways, British Airways, Eurowings, Transavia, and Wizz Air.