Saudi budget airline Flynas has resumed Hajj pilgrimage flights for Iranian travelers after a decade-long suspension, marking a major step in the restoration of travel and diplomatic ties between the two nations. The move comes as part of the broader reconciliation following the 2023 China-brokered agreement that ended seven years of severed relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. By reintroducing direct flights from Tehran and Mashhad, Flynas is not only facilitating religious travel for more than thirty-five thousand pilgrims but also reinforcing the growing cooperation and easing of tensions between the two regional powers ahead of the 2025 Hajj season.
Saudi Budget Carrier Flynas Resumes Hajj Flights for Iranian Pilgrims After a Decade-Long Hiatus
In a significant milestone reflecting the improving diplomatic relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Saudi-based low-cost carrier Flynas has restarted direct flights for Iranian Hajj pilgrims after a suspension lasting nearly ten years.
The airline resumed services from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Saturday, exclusively transporting Iranian nationals undertaking the sacred Hajj pilgrimage to the Kingdom. Additional flights from the Iranian city of Mashhad are also scheduled, with the aim of facilitating the travel of more than thirty-five thousand pilgrims to Saudi Arabia ahead of this year’s Hajj season, which is expected to commence in the first week of June.
According to Flynas, these operations are not part of the airline’s commercial offerings and are strictly designated for pilgrimage purposes. The resumption of services marks the first time since 2016 that a Saudi carrier has flown Iranian pilgrims to Mecca and Medina—Islam’s holiest sites.
The reactivation of these flights symbolizes a broader thaw in diplomatic tensions between the two regional heavyweights. In March 2023, Tehran and Riyadh restored diplomatic ties under a landmark agreement brokered by China, ending a seven-year diplomatic freeze. This rapprochement has since paved the way for a series of high-level engagements and cooperative efforts between the nations.
Relations had deteriorated sharply in 2016 following the storming of Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad, triggered by public outrage over the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr Al Nimr by Saudi authorities. The fallout led to a complete severance of diplomatic relations and the barring of Iranian pilgrims from participating in that year’s Hajj pilgrimage due to the inability of the two countries to reach logistical agreements.
In subsequent years, while Iranian citizens were permitted to attend the Hajj, they were only allowed to fly via Iranian chartered aircraft, limiting travel flexibility and coordination. Flynas’ renewed involvement now reflects not only the reopening of transport corridors but also an emerging spirit of religious and regional cooperation.
Since the March 2023 normalization, bilateral diplomacy has gained momentum. Embassies have been reopened, and multiple foreign ministerial visits have taken place. In a notable gesture of renewed engagement, former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Saudi Arabia in November 2023 to attend a joint Arab-Islamic summit focused on the Gaza conflict, marking the first such visit by an Iranian head of state in two decades.
The momentum continued into December, when Iran Air resumed scheduled flights between Mashhad and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, further reinforcing the restoration of air connectivity between the two nations. In a rare diplomatic gesture, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran last month and held a meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—signaling deepening political dialogue between the once-bitter rivals.
The current resumption of Flynas flights for Iranian pilgrims also comes at a crucial moment in the Islamic calendar, with millions of faithful from across the world journeying to the Kingdom for the annual Hajj. The inclusion of direct Saudi-operated flights from Iran is seen as a logistical and symbolic advancement, ensuring smoother transit for thousands of worshippers while demonstrating progress in regional cooperation.
Flynas, established as Saudi Arabia’s first budget airline, has steadily expanded its operations across domestic and international markets. Its role in facilitating pilgrimage-related transport enhances the Kingdom’s commitment to accommodating pilgrims from diverse regions while managing the vast logistical demands of the Hajj.
Observers note that this renewed connectivity could pave the way for further bilateral initiatives across trade, tourism, and regional diplomacy, especially as both countries seek to stabilize their roles in a changing Middle Eastern landscape.
Flynas has resumed Hajj travel flights from Iran to Saudi Arabia for the first time in ten years, signaling a major step in restoring bilateral ties. The renewed service reflects deepening cooperation following the 2023 diplomatic reconciliation between the two nations.
With Hajj preparations intensifying and pilgrims from all over the world arriving in Saudi Arabia, the reintroduction of direct flights for Iranian nationals underscores how diplomacy and religious pilgrimage continue to intersect in powerful ways.
Source: travelandtourworld.com
