British Airways, is all set to resume its operations to Saudi Arabia in a big way starting from May 31 with five weekly flights to both Riyadh and Jeddah.

The airline is celebrating its comeback with special promotional fares to Terminal 5 - its dedicated $6.4 billion home at London Heathrow.

The customers can now book a return World Traveller (economy) fare from either Saudi city to Heathrow for as little as BD171.9, or opt for a wider more comfortable seat in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) return for only BD356.8.

These fares include all taxes, fees and surcharges and are currently available on ba.com where customers can book and pay online in confidence.

Paolo De Renzis, British Airways’ Area Commercial Manager Middle East, said: “We are excited to resume our Saudi Arabian services on May 31 and are confident that our award winning products and services are what our customers in the Kingdom are looking for.”

The aviation market between Britain and Saudi Arabia was recently liberalised and - with the UK still Saudi’s leading European country market (as per GACA data) - De Renzis confirmed British Airways, which suspended flights to the Kingdom in 2005, believes its Kingdom services can once again be profitable.

“We are committed to Saudi Arabia as it continues to be a vitally important market for British Airways. In recent years Saudi Arabia has seen major business and financial development, as well as significant inward investment, so re-entering the Middle East’s largest market makes sound financial sense to the airline at this time,” he said.

“In just 30 days time, we’ll welcome our local passengers onboard our non-stop services from Riyadh and Jeddah to our state-of-the-art hub at Terminal 5 – the London gateway to a global network of more than 150 destinations.” added De Renzis.

For the duration of British Airways’ summer schedule, which runs to the end of October, a 4-class Boeing 777 will operate the five weekly Riyadh flights, while a 3-class Boeing 767 will serve the five weekly Jeddah services.

A full timetable of British Airways’ Saudi – London services is available online at ba.com – where the lowest fares are guaranteed – and customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.-TradeArabia News Service