SAUDIA to return to Sheremetyevo from 1 December with three weekly flights to Jeddah

According to the Telegram channel of Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO), Russia’s largest airport and Aeroflot’s main hub (t.me/svo_online), Saudi carrier SAUDIA will return to Sheremetyevo on 1 December 2026 and launch Moscow - Jeddah flights. The airport describes this as the resumption of direct air services between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The carrier will fly three times a week with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Jeddah (airport code JED) sits on the Red Sea coast. The airport has given no further details about the route.

What is known about the flights

The airport’s announcement is brief. Its key message reads:

SAUDIA is returning to Sheremetyevo and resuming direct air services between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

From t.me/svo_online

The announcement does not name the days of operation or the departure and arrival times. Nor does it say anything about ticket sales, fares or who will handle the flights at Sheremetyevo. It also does not state whether the route will run year-round or only for a season.

The airport’s text targets travellers. It presents Jeddah as a Red Sea city with old traditions, historic architecture and modern attractions. The announcement ends:

We are delighted to welcome the airline back to our airport and look forward to its first passengers!

From t.me/svo_online

What this means for shippers

Shippers are left with open questions: whether SAUDIA will accept shipments in the hold of its passenger flights on this route (known as belly cargo), which agent will sell the space and what restrictions will apply to commodity types.

The aircraft type makes the route worth watching. The Boeing 787-9 is a widebody with a cargo hold beneath the passenger cabin. The frequency is known, three flights a week, but the days and times of departure have not been announced. Even if the carrier confirms it accepts cargo, how much space it will offer is a separate question that will need its own answer.

What shippers moving cargo to Saudi Arabia or seeking access to the Red Sea coast should do:

• check with their Sheremetyevo agent whether SAUDIA will open cargo sales on the Jeddah flights and from what date;
• before the first shipment, ask the carrier for its list of commodity restrictions and documentation requirements;
• avoid firm commitments to clients on these flights until the agent or the carrier confirms cargo acceptance: less than a month remains before 1 December, and the days and times of the flights are still unknown.

If the carrier does not take cargo on these flights, SAUDIA’s return will add passenger seats to Sheremetyevo but no new space for shipments.

New routes in the international network

SAUDIA’s return fits a series of news items over the past week about international flights from Russia. On 1 November we reported that Russia is ready to consider applications from airlines of all African countries to operate flights. On 2 November we published a story on how Russia and Mozambique are discussing direct flights, with Nacala possibly the first destination.

Unlike those stories, the Jeddah flights already have a start date, a frequency and an aircraft type. We will report on cargo terms when the carrier or the airport announces them.