British Airways will re-introduce its flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to London Heathrow from March 29.
The airline will fly five times each week from both Riyadh and Jeddah to Heathrow Terminal 5. Flights to Riyadh will operate on a Boeing 777 and Jeddah flights will be on a Boeing 767.
Robert Boyle, British Airways’ commercial director, said, “Resuming these flights makes commercial sense. The oil market is increasingly important globally and inward investment into Saudi Arabia has risen considerably in the last couple of years.”
“We can start these flights now because the aviation market between Britain and Saudi Arabia has recently been liberalised.”
British Airways suspended services to Riyadh and Jeddah in March 2005 due to poor commercial performance on the route.
This summer, British Airways will fly to 150 destinations around the world. Through Heathrow’s Terminal 5, customers flying from Saudi Arabia can benefit from many same day connections to Europe and the United States, including flights to New York, Houston and Dallas.
From the UAE British Airways operates 28 weekly flights to London Heathrow.
It announced last month the airline has cut its fuel surcharge by as much as a third on long haul services.
The reduction in the fuel surcharge – the airline’s second cut in two months - applies to all four British Airways cabins: world traveller (economy), world traveller plus (premium economy), club world (business) and first.
“The lowered fuel surcharges mean UAE customers will save between Dh165 and Dh450 on return trips to London and North America, depending on their cabin of choice,” said Paul Starrs, British Airways’ commercial manager, Middle East.
“The decline in the fuel surcharge will see fares starting from just Dh2,610 to London and Dh3,760 return to the USA, including taxes, fees, and surcharges,” he said.
