Saudi Arabia plans to reach 2.5M airline seats for Umrah by 2025

Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) plans to increase air travel capacity for Umrah pilgrims to 2.5 million seats by the end of 2025, according to Majid Khan, CEO of the Air Connectivity Program.

More than 700,000 seats have already been earmarked to support Umrah and visitor traffic by the end of the first quarter of 2025, Arab News reported.

Speaking at the recently concluded Umrah and Ziyarah Forum in Madinah, held from Monday, April 14 to April 16, Khan said Umrah and religious tourism are key priorities, with efforts underway to expand global air links to Madinah.

The three-day forum, themed “Enriching the Experience of Umrah Performers and Visitors”, was organised by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah in collaboration with the Pilgrim Experience Program.

Khan noted the programme targets major markets including Europe, the Gulf, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Indonesia, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy.

A new Stuttgart–Jeddah route is set to launch later this year, marking the third direct Umrah connection from Germany. Eurowings has also joined the programme, operating recent flights from Berlin and Cologne to Jeddah.

Khan said that new airlines such as Eurowings have also been introduced, alongside recent routes from Berlin and Cologne to Jeddah.

French airline Transavia will soon launch services from Paris and Lyon to Jeddah. Beginning in August, a new daily flight from London Gatwick to Madinah will add around 180,000 seats.

The Air Connectivity Program, launched in 2021, aims to facilitate market entry and create expansion opportunities for air travel partners by supporting existing airlines and introducing new ones.

Earlier this year, 12 airlines joined the programme, launching 20 new routes to Saudi Arabia and adding 1.5 million seats. New partners include ITA Airways, British Airways, Eurowings, Transavia, and Wizz Air.