Red Sea Global celebrates first flight to new airport

Image credit: Sourced from RSG

Saudi Arabia’s flagship regenerative tourism destination the Red Sea project marked a huge milestone on September 20 as its first flight touched down on the brand new Red Sea International Airport.

The airport, assigned the code RSI, witnessed the arrival of its first flight by Saudia Airlines.

Departing from King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, the Saudia flight took under two hours to make the maiden journey.

“We promised to make The Red Sea a place where people from all around the world would come to experience the best of Saudi culture, hospitality, and nature. Now, with the first flight touching down at Red Sea International Airport, and our first resorts receiving bookings, our position on the global tourism map is all but secured,” said John Pagano, group CEO of Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala.

Red Sea Global’s executive leadership including Pagano, and group chief sustainability officer Raed AlBasseet were among the passengers that undertook the journey.

Flights to Red Sea International

The flight SV1571 marks the start of a new twice-weekly service. The flights return to Riyadh later the same day.

Flights depart RUH each Thursday at 10.50 am, before departing again to the kingdom’s capital from RSI at 01:35 pm. A second service departs RUH every Saturday at 12.50 pm, with the return flight for RUH departing at 15:35 pm.

Red Sea International Airport is operated by daa International, which has supported Red Sea Global with design validation and commissioning of RSI since 2020. With the arrival of RSI’s first commercial flight, daa International’s operational responsibility commences.

RSI brand revealed

On the same day as it welcomed its first flight, RSG also revealed the new brand for RSI.

Visitors can expect to see the brand expressed across multiple touchpoints, from the airport terminal and staff uniforms to the electric mobility vehicles that will transport passengers from air to land side.

“RSI is the gateway to The Red Sea destination. It is the first impression visitors have, and their parting memory when they leave. The brand echoes the qualities of the five-star hospitality guests will enjoy across the destination,” Pagano added.

The brand icon is a representation of the Red Sea International Airport’s unique architecture. The iconic shape is inspired by the bird’s eye view of the airport’s exterior. It has been created to express the creativity, novelty and sophistication of the brand in a way that is contemporary and distinct.