flynas is deepening its presence in Russia with new direct connections from Saudi Arabia to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The expansion marks a major step in the airline’s broader plan to link the Kingdom with key international markets and strengthen tourism ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
The airline announced that its new Moscow–Jeddah route will launch on December 23, operating three times weekly between Vnukovo International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport. This comes only months after flynas introduced the first scheduled flights by a Saudi airline between Moscow and Riyadh, which began in August 2025.
Building on this momentum, flynas confirmed that its network will grow further in 2026 with new direct services from Riyadh to Saint Petersburg and Sochi, alongside increased flight frequency between Riyadh and Moscow—rising to daily operations.
“We are proud to be the first Saudi airline to establish direct, regular flights to Russia,” said Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of flynas. “In 2026, our expansion will include Saint Petersburg and Sochi, offering more travel options for both Saudi and Russian passengers. This step reflects our long-term vision of connecting the Kingdom with the world while supporting tourism growth in both countries.”
The new routes are being developed in collaboration with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Air Connectivity Program, as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiatives to enhance global air links and attract 150 million tourists annually. They also align with the National Civil Aviation Strategy, which aims to connect Saudi Arabia with 250 international destinations and accommodate 330 million passengers a year.
According to Almohanna, interest in travel between the two countries is on the rise. “Last year, more than 50,000 Saudi tourists visited Russia, even before regular direct connections were established,” he noted. “With these new routes, that number is expected to grow significantly.”
Since its launch in 2007, flynas has carried over 80 million passengers and now operates more than 2,000 weekly flights to 139 destinations in 30 countries. Listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), the airline continues to expand toward its goal of serving 165 destinations worldwide under its “We Connect the World to the Kingdom” strategy—one that blends accessibility, growth, and the ambition of Vision 2030.
