Riyadh: The Air Connectivity Program (ACP), alongside its key partners, expressed its welcome to Italian national carrier ITA Airways on its first direct flight from Rome to Jeddah.

The service will operate three times weekly with an Airbus A321neo airplane, linking Rome Fiumicino with King Abdulaziz International Airport.

To celebrate the launch of the new route, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the arrival gate of Jeddah International Airport. The ceremony was attended by Italian Vice Consul-General in Jeddah Irene Buongiorno, ACP vice president of aviation development Rashed Al-Shammari, ITA president of international sales Pierfrancesco Carino, Jeddah Airport vice president of operations Glen Wilson, and ITA regional manager for Asia, Middle East, and Africa Benedetto Mencaroni.

“We are delighted to see ITA Airways commencing the route between Rome and our coastal and historical city of Jeddah, which will further enhance our air connectivity to KSA. Travelers from ITA Airways’ network in Italy, Europe, and the Americas will enjoy a more seamless journey to explore the untapped potential of Jeddah. We look forward to further strengthening our collaboration with a great partner, ITA Airways” Jeddah Airports chief executive Eng. Mazen Johar and ACP chief executive Majid Khan said in a statement.

"We are delighted to inaugurate our first nonstop flight between Jeddah and Rome, strengthening our presence in Saudi Arabia, a rapidly growing market”, said ITA chief commercial officer and Volare chief executive Emiliana Limosani. "This new opening follows the launch of the nonstop connection to Riyadh in June and is part of our ongoing summer network expansion, which boasts excellent booking results".

"Operated with the state-of-the-art A321neo, this new flight will expand the medium-haul network and enhance commercial and cultural exchanges between the Arabian Peninsula and Italy, while also providing connections with our array of destinations accessible via our Rome Fiumicino hub,” Limosani said. “Introducing direct connections from Rome to Jeddah today, following the successful launch of the Rome-Riyadh route in June, is a crucial step in our mission to develop the tourism sector further and increase visitor numbers from Italy, Europe, and beyond to Saudi Arabia".

Saudi Tourism Authority president of Europe & Americas markets Hazim AlHazmi also was excited. “The new routes, fueled by our strong partnership with the national carrier ITA Airways, will significantly enhance accessibility and are expected to drive greater investments. This development will also strengthen the cultural and economic ties between Italy and Saudi,” he said.

"As a representative of the Italian consulate, I am thrilled to be part of the strengthening partnership between Italy and Saudi Arabia through the launch of the new roundtrip Rome-Jeddah flight,” said Vice Consul General Buongiorno. "It truly is a testimony of the friendship between the two countries, which not only is rooted in a deep historic relationship, but is further developing the commercial friendship with expanding opportunities".

“The new ITA Airways intercontinental route will boost the promotion of our beloved country into Saudi Arabia. Likewise, it is with great pleasure to be part of this unique opportunity for my fellow Italians to be able to discover the kingdom, a beautiful country that I have had the chance to call home for the past seven years. I would like to wish all the success to ITA Airways and King Abdulaziz International Airport, and cannot wait to see the positive impact that this new flight will bring," Buongiorno said.

The ACP, under the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aims to enhance air connectivity from unserved and underserved markets around the world to the Kingdom. ACP works at the intersection of tourism and aviation by bridging the stakeholder ecosystem to enable the National Tourism Strategy’s vision and establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in tourism air connectivity.