On August 16, Saudia inaugurated its flights between Riyadh (RUH) and Seoul – Incheon (ICN) with three weekly flights and will have an offer of 1,788 seats per week, the last operation between Saudi Arabia and South Korea was in December 2016 with a Korean Air non-stop service operated on Airbus A330-200.
The new route is in line with the Saudi Aviation Strategy, which has as its main objectives to connect the Kingdom with the world to more than 250 destinations and significantly increase international tourist arrivals.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated flight SV 898: the aircraft took off from Terminal 2 of King Khalid International Airport at 04:00 local time and landed at Incheon Airport (ICN) at 21:01.
“As Wings of Vision 2030, the national carrier has the capacity to continuously expand its route network and welcome a wide range of visitors to Saudi Arabia,” said Eng. Ahmed Alwassiah, SAUDIA’s interim chief executive officer.
“To support our strategic objectives, we ensure that our airline’s fleet of 144 aircraft is equipped with the latest in-flight innovations, and we plan to modernize and expand it over the coming years” added Alwassiah.
Flight Itinerary
- Riyadh – Seoul Flight SV 898 RUH 03:20 – ICN 19:50 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
- Seoul – Riyadh Flight SV 899 ICN 21:40 – RUH 02:10+1 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The route will be operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with a capacity of 298 seats in two classes (24 Business Class/274 Economy).
Saudia celebrated this new non-stop service between Saudi Arabia and South Korea with a reception ceremony at Incheon International Airport (ICN) that showcased aspects of Saudi and Korean culture. The celebration was attended by South Korean dignitaries, diplomats and press personnel, as well as partners in the domestic travel and tourism sectors.
This new route will be the airline’s only Northeast Asia service and is part of its strategy to expand its network to 100 global destinations. The Saudi flag carrier hopes to consolidate its international operations with the aim of connecting the world to the Kingdom.
See also: Saudia inaugurated flights to Zurich
