The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that direct flights between Abuja and Jeddah will commence in December 2026, with Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Saudia Airlines, set to operate the new route.
Keyamo disclosed this in a statement following his attendance at the National Day celebration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Abuja.
According to the minister, the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef Bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, announced the commencement of the direct service during his speech at the event.
Keyamo said the development followed sustained efforts by the Nigerian government and relevant stakeholders to establish the direct connection between Abuja and Jeddah.
He also disclosed that Saudia Airlines would deploy the Airbus A321XLR on the route.
The minister said the deployment followed the Federal Government’s continued insistence that foreign airlines operating to Nigeria should deploy newer aircraft on Nigerian routes.
“We are also pleased to note that, due to our continued insistence on deployment of newer aircraft by foreign airlines to the Nigerian route, SAUDIA AIRLINES, have unveiled the AIRBUS 321 XLR, the newest model of the AIRBUS family, to be deployed on the Abuja-Jeddah route,” Keyamo said.
The new direct connection is expected to provide a non-stop air link between Nigeria’s capital and Jeddah, one of Saudi Arabia’s major aviation and pilgrimage gateways.
