The first flight, SV 1291 on an Airbus A320, was to Gurayat, a northern domestic airport in Saudi Arabia. The flight departed Jeddah at 05:15 on May 29 and arrived in Gurayat at 07:10 (all times local).

The new King Abdulaziz Airport opened on May 29 to operate a select number of flights as part of a soft-opening phase.

“The entire airline operations team has been preparing for and anticipating this important milestone, which marks a new era for SAUDIA’s operations out of Jeddah,” expressed Abdulrahman Altayeb, vice president corporate communications, SAUDIA.