Delta to Launch 1st US Nonstop Service to Saudi Arabia

The Atlanta–Riyadh service follows the White House-brokered Gaza peace deal, which Trump says could broaden Middle East cooperation.

Riyadh Metro trains travel along tracks in the middle of a road in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ludovic Marin /AFP via Getty Images

Delta Air Lines is set to become the first U.S. carrier to offer nonstop service to Saudi Arabia. It has announced that it will launch flights between Atlanta and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, starting in 2026—a move symbolizing deepening ties between Washington and the Arab world after the Trump-brokered peace deal that ended the Gaza war.

The announcement, made in an Oct. 27 statement, comes as Saudi Arabia is emerging as a diplomatic and economic bridge in the Middle East following its active mediation role in the cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.

The new route will “start slow” but “gain popularity,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said at the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh on Oct. 27, describing the new connection as a strategic move to reshape global aviation routes.

While Saudi Arabia was not a front-line mediator such as Qatar or Egypt in the talks that led to the Gaza peace deal, experts said the country played a key role behind the scenes.

“Riyadh wants to see stabilization, not only in the Gaza Strip but throughout the entire region, as this is necessary for its economic diversification,” Sebastian Sons, a researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient, a German think tank, said in recent remarks to German media outlet DW. “However, Saudi Arabia does not want to be closely involved in Gaza in any way.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he expects an expansion of the Abraham Accords in the near future and has expressed hope that Saudi Arabia will join the pact, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab countries.

“I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in,“ Trump told Fox Business Network on Oct. 17. ”I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in.”

In 2020, under Trump’s first administration, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke with decades of regional policy by establishing diplomatic ties with Israel—the first such form of recognition by Arab nations in decades. Morocco and Sudan later followed. Now, Trump has expressed hope that his peace initiative in the Gaza Strip could form the foundation for an expanded Middle East reconciliation, including a possible pact between archenemies Israel and Iran.

“Wouldn’t it be nice?” Trump said of a possible reconciliation between Israel and Iran.

Delta’s announcement of the new nonstop flight ties into Saudi Arabia’s broader drive to diversify its economy, expand tourism, and strengthen global connectivity. The route will be one of Delta’s longest, at more than 7,000 miles, and will operate three times weekly on Delta’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

“Our new flights will connect customers to this dynamic, fast-growing region while delivering the care, comfort, and reliability they expect,“ Bastian said in a statement. ”It reflects our bold vision to create meaningful opportunities and experiences in every corner of the world in the years ahead.”

Besides adding a commercial dimension to the geopolitical realignment underway since the Trump-mediated Gaza peace deal, signed earlier in October, the Delta service also marks a milestone in Vision 2030, the Saudi blueprint to shift the kingdom from oil dependence toward tourism, technology, and global investment.

During the Fortune Global Forum, the Delta CEO said that “Americans aren’t quite sure” yet about visiting Saudi Arabia but that perceptions can change. When U.S. travelers do come to Riyadh, he said, they will see an “amazing display” of opportunity and culture.

The announcement follows Delta’s record third-quarter results: revenue of $15.2 billion, up by 4.1 percent year over year. The Atlanta-based airline reported surging premium and corporate ticket sales and forecast 2 percent to 4 percent revenue growth in the final quarter.