I have visited Saudi Arabia several times, always for work (unfortunately), and mostly either to Dammam in the East or, more often, Riyadh and Jeddah, and contrary to all the expectations of colleagues and friends, have always enjoyed my visits. Particularly to Jeddah, which is a beguiling and ancient Red Sea port with attractions both old and new.
But although I would love to visit, I have never been to Medina, or it’s sister city of Mecca. Both cities were of great importance in the life of The Prophet, and understandably access to them is restricted to Muslims. What I would give to visit either, to just see al-Masjid an-Nabawi once…
But if you are fortunate enough to be one of the millions of muslims in this country, then you can take the trip that I never will be able to do and take advantage of the first direct flights from the UK to Medina.
And is it Saudia or British Airways plying this route?
Not at all – it is the wonderfully plucky Wizz Air which has launched flights between London Gatwick and Medina in Saudi Arabia, with the inaugural flight having taken place on 1 August, with flights now running daily.
This is part of the low-cost carrier’s transformation plan in April this year, with its new A321XLR aircraft is operating the London-Medina route, along with routes from London to Jeddah and Milan to Abu Dhabi. The carrier has also said that it hopes to use the XLR aircraft to connect to India in the future.
Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air UK, commented: “We are so excited to see this new route take off. Being the first airline to provide a direct connection from London to Medina is a special moment for us as we live up to our mission of democratising aviation. With flights departing daily, we’re giving thousands of people the chance to reach the Holy City – some we expect for the very first time – at an affordable price.”
It is also a coup for Gatwick, whose roster of interesting long-haul destinations continues to grow and with (hopefully) a second runway being approved soon, Gatwick continues to evolve into a superbly connected airport with a slate of unusual but popular destinations and in doing so is carving out a distinct role of it’s own rather than it’s historically irritating one of just being second string to Heathrow. More power to them!
Finally, note above that Wizz Air does also fly directly to Jeddah on the Red Sea Coast of Saudi Arabia. I highly recommend a trip – it is a wonderful city, with a beautiful ancient centre, outstanding food and lots to see, as well as the most perfects sunsets from the Corniche. Saudi Arabia is not what most people assume. The people are on the whole incredibly welcoming and friendly. The food is nothing short of amazing. It is culturally interesting but changing fast. Go and see it now, before the crowds, and during one of those fleetingly rare moments when you can see both the past and the future.
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