At the end of 2025, Delta Air Lines announced plans to launch a flashy and unconventional route for a U.S. carrier by October of the following year: the new flight between Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta and Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) will be the first direct service to Saudi Arabia for any U.S. airline. The decision to expand into the Middle Eastern nation came amid rising tourism numbers and the latter country’s efforts to grow its tourism industry to rival that of nearby Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as well as open up from past reputations of being a closed-off country.
POLARIS INSIGHTS