Saudi Arabian low-cost airline Flynas is expanding its international route network and will offer a new direct connection between Brussels Airport and the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia from October 5, 2026.
According to the airline, the service will operate twice weekly. The target group for this new route includes pilgrims to Islam's holy sites, passengers visiting relatives and friends, and the steadily growing business and leisure travel between Belgium and Saudi Arabia.
The launch of flights to Medina complements Flynas' existing operations from Brussels and provides a direct flight connection to one of the most important religious centers of the Arabian Peninsula. The airline is expanding its international flight schedule as part of the government's development program, Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to significantly increase tourist and visitor numbers and strengthen the country's aviation sector. In addition to the direct connection to Medina, Flynas' route network also offers connecting flights to other domestic destinations within Saudi Arabia.
The route serves a specific market, as Medina, as a destination for the Umrah pilgrimage and for visits to the Prophet's community, experiences high year-round demand in the religious sector. For Brussels Airport, the increase in flights means enhanced connections to the Middle East. Low-cost carriers like Flynas typically use more modern narrow-body aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family on this route to operate longer medium-haul flights economically with modified seating configurations.
Aviation analysts point out, however, that the Saudi Arabian aviation market is currently characterized by a high degree of state-sponsored capacity expansion. Establishing new point-to-point connections to Europe presents operational challenges, including achieving consistently balanced load factors outside of peak pilgrimage periods. The upcoming flight schedule period will reveal how ticket prices and route profitability develop in the context of established network carriers.