Virgin Atlantic takes flight to Saudi Arabia, navigating cultural nuances

CRAWLEY, UNITED KINGDOM: From its start more than four decades ago as a hip, upstart challenger to British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways has always had an irreverent side.

For the airline’ inaugural flight in 1984, thirtysomething founder Richard Branson posed in a captain’s suit on the runway stairs, teetering on one leg.

Over the years, the vivacious British entrepreneur, now 74, has dressed in drag to settle a bet with a rival airline, worn a kilt to promote new flights to Scotland, and floated an airship with the slogan “BA can’t get it up” over rival British Airways botched attempt to raise the London Eye Ferris wheel into position.

This time, Branson and Shai Weiss, the airline’s chief executive officer, have a more delicate task – promoting a new route from the airline’s London Heathrow base to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where rules still govern everything from food and drink to public dress and behaviour.

After opening its borders to leisure tourists in 2019, the kingdom has poured investment into new hotels and luxury experiences to grow Saudi Arabia into a travel hub. Despite the warm welcome, drinking alcohol remains banned, as are same-sex displays of affection. Travelers are advised to wear loose-fitting clothes that cover the elbow and knees.

Branson, who in the past has hoisted models and even burlesque artists to promote Virgin Atlantic, has no such stunt in store for the airline’s Saudi debut.

“I don’t think we’re doing camels this time anyway,” he told reporters on Tuesday before the flight.

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The airline, best known as a transatlantic specialist, has previous experience in the region, serving Dubai and Tel Aviv – the latter destination paused through October because of the Israel-Hamas war. Adding a Virgin hotel in Riyadh or a Virgin Voyages cruises are possibilities, Branson said, depending on the outcome of discussions in coming days.

The rules don’t seem to be putting passengers off: in February, flights to Riyadh were among those with the fewest empty seats, according to Heathrow.

Virgin Atlantic has made accommodations to the restrictions – for example, the airline stops serving alcohol once the aircraft crosses into Saudi airspace. But Branson thinks the kingdom will relax its culture, similar to Dubai, over the next 20 years.

“We have to be respectful and not ram things down their throats like we might do across Atlantic,” he said.

Virgin Atlantic is going up against British Airways, IAG SA’s largest subsidiary, as well as Emirates, which also flies direct to Riyadh from London. Later this year, PIF-owned start up Riyadh Air, part of the kingdom’s effort to stoke tourism, is set to make its debut.

The company has formed partnerships with Riyadh Air and state-owned Saudia for connections with Riyadh. Weiss said 80 percent of sales for the London-Riyadh route are to people in Saudi Arabia, the rest from the UK and US. The route is attracting religious tourists as well as business travellers and the so-called friends-and relatives trade,” he said.