Riyadh to allow foreign airlines to fly to Madinah

Saudi Arabia said yesterday it would for the first time allow foreign airlines to fly to the Holy City of Madinah during the annual Haj pilgrimage in early February.

The move comes despite increased security warnings that have prompted several cancellations of some flights around the world, including British Airways flights from London to Saudi Arabia.

State television said the airport in Madinah - formerly only open to Saudi flights - would now be open to foreign airlines carrying Haj pilgrims from around the world "to facilitate the travel of Haj pilgrims by making better use of available resources".

Previously, pilgrims would land in airports in Riyadh or Jeddah and travel to Makkah and Madinah by land. Makkah has no airport. Saudi Arabian Airlines said yesterday it expected to transport more than 921,000 pilgrims on 3,100 flights.