The English hub will return as the UK’s only airport outside London to offer direct services to Saudi Arabia

Manchester Airport has announced that Saudi Arabian national carrier Saudia will return to the facility in December, for the first time in nearly two years.

The airline will make its home at the airport’s newly expanded and refurbished terminal 2 and services will initially run from December 15 until January 9, 2022 on a three times weekly basis. Depending on demand, the airline hopes to make the route a permanent fixture next year.

Saudia first connected the two cities in 2014 with the route growing to carry 97,000 passengers in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karen Smart, Manchester Airport managing director, said: “The return of Saudia to Manchester Airport is wonderful news and demonstrates the renewed confidence amongst passengers and airlines as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. This is a route that is hugely important to communities across the North [and] it also has substantial economic benefits for our region, given the ever-growing trade and investment partnership between the UK and Saudi Arabia.”