Red Sea Global introduced Saudi Arabia’s inaugural seaplane service, designed to ferry visitors to the Red Sea island resorts in the Kingdom.
This new venture, named ‘Fly Red Sea,’ boasts an initial fleet comprising four Cessna Caravan 208 seaplanes. Red Sea Global (RSG) also revealed that these aircraft will operate using sustainable aviation fuel, as mentioned on their website, www.redseaglobal.com.
“Each aircraft can accommodate a pilot and up to six guests with luggage for guest transfers to water-based resorts, or up to nine guests for scenic tours across the entire destination,” RSG said.
“As a pilot myself, I was deeply invested in the efforts to build Fly Red Sea,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global, the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala.
“Our goal was to create a company that would … explore technologies to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint, and prioritize giving skilled, rewarding career opportunities to the Saudi people,” he said.
Fly Red Sea will establish its main operational hub at Red Sea International (RSI) Airport, located in Hanak, Tabuk region. This airport features a dedicated seaplane runway running parallel to the primary terminal, according to Arab News.
VIP Delegation Welcomes Red Sea Airport’s First Visitors
On October 11, Fly Red Sea’s inaugural seaplane flight coincided with the arrival of the airport’s first visitors—a VIP delegation comprising Saudi ministers and other dignitaries who arrived on a specially branded Saudia flight from Riyadh.
The airport officially commenced operations on September 21, 2023, with the primary purpose of serving the Kingdom’s ambitious Red Sea Development and Amaala tourism megaprojects.
Fly Red Sea has outlined its growth plans, with intentions to expand its seaplane fleet to nine by 2028 and to more than 20 by 2030, aligning with the development phases of the destination.
When the project reaches full fruition in 2030, the new tourism destination will encompass 50 resorts, providing a total of 8,000 hotel rooms and over 1,000 residential properties, spread across 22 islands and six inland locations.
The destination’s offerings, as per redseaglobal.com, will also encompass luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, dining options, and recreational amenities.
