Atlanta Flights? Saudia Is Reportedly Eyeing A New Route After Starting Delta Air Lines Codeshare
Jeddah Airport‘s (JED) Summer 2025 Initial Coordination Report was recently published by Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) which is the world’s largest airport slot coordinator. In the report, a new destination in the United States was listed, specifically Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As picked up by Ishrion Aviation, this is a significant development, not least because 
Delta Air Lines did not actually request slots at JED, meaning it is most likely a destination requested by primary operator, Saudia.
Photo: ACL Initial Slot Coordination Summer 2025 Report for Jeddah Airport
A new route to Atlanta
A new route to Atlanta would be an important development in the progression of Delta Air Lines’ relationship with Saudia. In early October, the two airlines signed a codeshare agreement that includes nine destinations in saudi Arabia and the Middle East other than Saudia’s hub in JED and Riyadh Airport (RUH). On the other hand, Saudia customers would get access to 12 destinations in the US, connecting through Delta’s New York JFK Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hubs.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
An Atlanta service would boost their codeshare agreement significantly. Demand on the route would be stimulated by the expanded network choice, allowing one-stop travel between destinations further towards the West coast of the United States, and Jeddah. Likewise, travelers connecting on Saudia flights in the Middle East and further eastwards into Asia, would be able to travel to Atlanta via JED.
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Whether the route will actually be launched is another question altogether. Demand between the two cities is not particularly high, especially considering that the Saudi-American diaspora is primarily concentrated on the US eastcoast. More generally, of the estimated 3.7 million Arab-Americans per the Arab American Institute, the majority reside in the following cities:
- New York
- Detroit
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Washington D.C.
- Minneapolis
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
At the time of the launch of the codeshare agreement, Arved Von Zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia said the following, hinting at “new possibilities” for additional cooperation.
“This partnership between two legacy airlines fosters greater collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, opening up new possibilities for commercial and tourism relations. We look forward to furthering our cooperation and exploring additional opportunities with Delta.”
Saudi Arabia and the US
Only Saudia operates between its home country and the United States. According to Cirium data, next summer (excluding the rumored Atlanta route), Saudia will offer around 17 weekly flights to the United States across the following routes:
- Jeddah (JED) to Washington (IAD)
- Jeddah (JED) to New York (JFK)
- Jeddah (JED) to Los Angeles (LAX)
- Riyadh (RUH) to Washington (IAD)
- Riyadh (RUH) to New York (JFK)
Saudia uses the Boeing 777 on its services to the United States.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines had previously hinted at the possibility of flights to Riyadh, after it signed an agreement with start-up Riyadh Air back in July. It said that following this agreement, it is only natural that the carrier begin flights to RUH later down the line. Currently, the only carrier operating between the US and Saudi Arabia is Saudia.
