Saudi budget airline Flynas intends to boost the number of flights from Riyadh to Moscow and broaden its route network to include other Russian cities, CEO Bandar al-Mukhanna announced.
“This is a historic flight for Saudi-Russian relations. At Flynas, we take pride in being the first airline connecting the two countries,” al-Mukhanna said at the launch ceremony of the direct air service, held at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.
Currently, Flynas operates three weekly flights and aims to increase their frequency soon while also expanding service to additional Russian destinations, the CEO added.
Saudi Arabia views Russia as a promising tourism market due to its rich history and culture. Flynas hopes to attract Russian tourists to the Kingdom’s unique attractions and resorts along the Red Sea.
With an estimated Muslim population of over 25 million in Russia, Flynas also aims to facilitate direct flights to improve pilgrimage access to holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
The airline’s inaugural direct flight from Riyadh to Moscow took place on August 1, 2025. The Airbus A320neo aircraft landed in Vnukovo at 13:46 Moscow time. Flynas is authorized to operate up to four flights per week until October 25, the end of the spring-summer scheduling season, using Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft.
In May 2025, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia reported that Saudi Arabia entered the top three international source markets for inbound Russian tourism for the first time. The number of Saudi visitors to Russia in the first quarter of 2025 increased 47-fold compared to the same period in 2019, reaching 9,900 people. Additionally, Saudi Arabia led the growth rate in inbound tourism to Russia, with a 65.2% increase over the first quarter of 2024.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Gerhard Gellinger/Pixabay
Based on materials from TASS