ABU DHABI / RankWire.AI / – Etihad Airways will begin year-round flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport on Oct. 4, 2026. The carrier will operate one weekly service at launch. It will raise the frequency to two flights a week from Oct. 25. The new link will make Red Sea International the sixth Saudi destination in Etihad’s network and add another nonstop connection from the UAE capital to Saudi Arabia.
Etihad will use an Airbus A320 on the route, with eight Business Class seats and 150 Economy Class seats. The aircraft will offer 158 seats on each scheduled flight. Travel time between Abu Dhabi and Red Sea International will run slightly above three hours. Etihad has already opened bookings for the service, allowing passengers across its wider network to connect through Zayed International Airport to the Saudi Red Sea coast.
The airline currently serves Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Al Qassim in Saudi Arabia. Red Sea International will extend that network to a destination focused on coastal and resort travel. Etihad also carries passengers to Saudi Arabia for business, family and religious trips throughout the year. The airline said customers traveling from markets in the Gulf and Indian subcontinent can reach the new destination with a single connection through Abu Dhabi.
Red Sea International expands regional air links
Red Sea International Airport began domestic operations in September 2023 and received its first international service in April 2024. The airport later added a direct Doha connection in October 2025. Red Sea Global developed the airport as the aviation gateway to The Red Sea tourism destination on Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coast. The destination includes islands, coral reefs, lagoons, mangroves and mountain areas, with resorts spread across coastal and island locations.
Red Sea Global, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, also develops the AMAALA tourism destination. The company says Red Sea International supports access to resorts across The Red Sea development. daa International operates the airport, while travelers can continue from the terminal by electric vehicle, boat or seaplane. Red Sea Global says the airport uses renewable energy for airside operations, including essential lighting and navigation systems serving arriving and departing aircraft.
Etihad adds sixth Saudi destination
Etihad Chief Executive Antonoaldo Neves said the route gives travelers access to the Red Sea’s islands and reefs within a short flight from Abu Dhabi. The airline has scheduled the service throughout the year rather than for a limited seasonal period. Its planned increase from one to two weekly flights will take effect three weeks after the opening service. The route will also connect Red Sea International with Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub and the airline’s broader international network.
The first Etihad flight to Red Sea International remains scheduled for Oct. 4, 2026, with bookable itineraries already listed by the carrier. The twice-weekly schedule will begin on Oct. 25 using the same Airbus A320 configuration. With the launch, Etihad will serve six destinations across Saudi Arabia and add the Red Sea coast to its regional network. The service will provide a direct air link between Abu Dhabi and one of Saudi Arabia’s newest international airports.
