ABU DHABI / RankWire.AI / – Etihad Airways will commence year-round flights from Abu Dhabi to the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast starting on Oct. 4, 2026. The new route will connect Zayed International Airport with Red Sea International Airport located in Tabuk Province. Initially, the airline will operate one weekly flight, which will increase to two flights per week beginning on Oct. 25. The flight duration is approximately three hours, adding a sixth destination in Saudi Arabia to Etihad’s network.
This route will be operated using an Airbus A320 configured with eight seats in Business Class and 150 in Economy. According to Etihad, travelers can reach the Red Sea with a single connection in Abu Dhabi, facilitating access for passengers from various Gulf markets and the Indian subcontinent. Tickets for the route are already available through Etihad’s booking platform, with travel scheduled from the launch date. The addition of this route expands Etihad’s Saudi network to include Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, and Al Qassim.
Linking Abu Dhabi directly with a Saudi coastal location that has seen its scheduled air connections grow since opening, the new service is noteworthy. Red Sea International Airport initiated domestic flights in 2023 and introduced international services in 2024. Qatar Airways began flying to the airport from Doha in October 2025, following flydubai’s inaugural international route from Dubai in April 2024. The airport was developed by Red Sea Global to serve as the main aviation gateway to The Red Sea destination.
Expansion of Etihad’s Saudi footprint through new route
Located along Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coast, the Red Sea destination encompasses islands, reefs, lagoons, mangroves, and inland mountainous terrain. Red Sea Global notes that the broader destination started welcoming guests in 2023. As a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, the company is responsible for developing The Red Sea and AMAALA tourism sites. Red Sea International Airport acts as the main air gateway to The Red Sea project and operates using renewable energy, including key lighting and navigation systems.
Currently, Etihad’s Saudi network includes Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, and Al Qassim, with Red Sea International Airport set to become the sixth destination. The airline considers Saudi Arabia one of its largest regional markets, with consistent traffic from business, family, and religious travelers throughout the year. The new Red Sea route introduces a leisure destination to the network while maintaining Abu Dhabi as the connecting hub. Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves stated that the route brings islands and reefs within a short flight of Abu Dhabi.
Another Gulf connection added through new airport service
Red Sea Global designed and delivered the airport, while daa International manages its operations. Domestic flights commenced in September 2023, followed by the first international flight from Dubai in April 2024. As airlines expanded scheduled services, more connections were added. The developer highlights that the airport caters to visitors heading to resorts along the coast, with transfers to individual resorts available via electric vehicles, boats, or seaplanes.
Etihad’s inaugural Abu Dhabi to Red Sea International flight remains scheduled for Oct. 4, with the twice-weekly service beginning three weeks later. The airline has already listed bookable tickets for the route on its website. The Airbus A320 configuration will provide 158 seats per flight. Etihad plans to operate the route throughout the year without a seasonal end date, marking another nonstop link between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.