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Saudia Airlines is set to transition its Neom Bay-London service from Heathrow to Gatwick starting March 30, 2025. This change comes as part of a strategic move to enhance the route's performance by utilizing Gatwick's lower fees and charges, despite the higher cost per seat mile associated with the Airbus A320 aircraft that will be used.
The airline initially launched flights between Neom Bay and London Heathrow in December 2022, supported by Saudi Arabia's Air Connectivity Program. The route was served weekly using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which provided substantial capacity for a market that previously did not exist. Despite this effort, passenger numbers remained low. According to UK Civil Aviation Authority data, only 27,289 roundtrip passengers were transported between December 2022 and October 2024.
In response to these challenges, Saudia decided to reallocate its valuable Heathrow slots for its core Jeddah route while attempting to improve the Neom-London service by switching airports and adjusting aircraft type. The new service will operate on a there-and-back basis using the smaller Airbus A320ceo with a seating capacity of 110 passengers—20 in business class and 90 in economy.
