The Middle East aviation market moves very quickly. But it can also be influenced by problems external to demand. For example, the aircraft shortage which handicaps airlines looking for the best module in terms of capacity.
Air France returns after a six-year absence
On the plus side, Air France has just announced the dates of its return to Paris CDG-Riyadh for the summer season.. This is a traditional route for the French carrier, but one that was suspended in 2019.
Times have changed, particularly with the partnership between Air France and Saudia through Skyteam. And above all a incentive programme launched by the Saudi government, the Air Connectivity Programme (ACP). This body offers "operational benefits, priority slot allocation, discounts and data sharing. It streamlines the routing process and reduces operational complexity and costs for airlines", according to the ACP website.
The company will start flying on 19 May with a gradual ramp-up. Three flights are initially scheduled (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) until 2 June. On that date, the carrier will offer five weekly frequencies with additional frequencies on Tuesdays and Sundays. The company will be introducing a Airbus A350-900 of 324 seats. That's 34 seats in business, 24 in premium economy and 266 in economy.
Qatar Airways withdraws from Lyon
On the other hand, Qatar Airways recently announced that it was discontinuing the serving Lyon. The airline operates four frequencies a week to Doha. This suspension follows the effective cessation of services from Toulouse since last summer. The two routes were inaugurated to great fanfare by the management of Qatar Airways in 2023.
Lyon airport has explained that this is a priori a temporary suspension and that the teams were working with Qatar Airways on its return in 2026. Qatar Airways justifies this decision by saying that lack of suitable equipment to this route. Qatar Airways operates an Airbus A330-200 to Toulouse and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to Lyon. Toulouse benefited from an offer 260 seats per flight, while the B787 on the Lyon offers almost the same capacity of 254 seats.
It is likely that the two destinations would only require 200 seats on average per frequencymore suited to the passenger potential of the two regions. This is what the Airbus A321LRThis is a single-aisle aircraft, but Airbus is having trouble delivering it due to supply chain disruptions. All we have to do now is wait until 2026 to see whether Qatar Airways' return will actually take place.
