Saudia considers new route to Atlanta amid growing ties with Delta

Despite this potential, there are questions about whether the route will be launched. The demand between these cities is not particularly high since the Saudi-American diaspora is mainly concentrated on the U.S. east coast. According to the Arab American Institute, most of the estimated 3.7 million Arab-Americans live in cities like New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Minneapolis.

Arved Von Zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia, commented on their partnership with Delta: “This partnership between two legacy airlines fosters greater collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, opening up new possibilities for commercial and tourism relations. We look forward to furthering our cooperation and exploring additional opportunities with Delta.”

Currently, only Saudia operates flights between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Excluding the rumored Atlanta route next summer, Cirium data indicates that Saudia plans around 17 weekly flights across routes from Jeddah to Washington (IAD), New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), as well as from Riyadh to Washington and New York using Boeing 777 aircraft.

Delta Air Lines had previously suggested potential flights to Riyadh following an agreement with start-up Riyadh Air in July. As of now, Saudia remains the sole carrier connecting Saudi Arabia with the United States.