Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has officially launched its first direct flight from the South Korean capital of Seoul to Riyadh.

The new flight route comes in line with the Saudi Aviation Strategy, which aims to connect the Kingdom to the world with more than 250 destinations, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The landmark flight Seoul’s Incheon International Airport to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh utilised Saudia’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a two-class aircraft with 274 seats in guest class and 24 flat beds in business class.

“As the Wings of Vision 2030, the national carrier has the necessary capacity to continually broaden its route network and welcome a wide range of visitors into Saudi Arabia.” said Ahmed Alwassiah, acting Chief Executive Officer of Saudia. “To support our strategic objectives, we ensure our airline’s 144-aircraft fleet is suited with the latest in-flight innovations and plan to modernize and expand it during the next few years.”

“With this milestone route, Saudia is not only connecting the Kingdom to more of the world touristically, but also helping to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and services, allowing both countries to enhance their local businesses, logistics framework, and manufacturing infrastructure. The flight schedule between the two countries will be under constant review to ensure that flights and seating capacity successfully meet operational requirements,” he added.

Saudia celebrated the new route between Saudi Arabia and South Korea with a receptive ceremony in Seoul that showcased aspects of both Saudi and Korean cultures. The ceremony was attended by South Korean dignitaries, diplomats and members of the media, as well as partners from the domestic travel and tourism sectors.

The landmark route is part of Saudia’s strategy to expand its network of more than 100 global destinations and improve the carrier’s competitive position internationally to further solidify the airline’s role in bringing the world to the Kingdom.