Routes World Officially Handed Over To 2026 Hosts

On the final day of the 2025 edition of the event, Airport Authority Hong Kong officially handed over the hosting responsibilities of Routes World to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). 

GACA will host the event in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) as the tourism partner, the Air Connectivity Program (ACP) as the air connectivity partner, and Matarat Holding as the Airport partner.

Routes World is held in varying venues and locations annually, bringing together key stakeholders from the route development community to drive global air connectivity. Airlines, airports, and tourism authorities are expected to take part in over 8,000 meetings at the 2026 edition of the event which will act as a catalyst to form strong partnerships across air service development.

The selection of Riyadh as host city reflects the Kingdom’s progress in becoming a global aviation hub and premier tourism destination in support of Vision 2030. The air transport sector in Saudi Arabia achieved record-breaking growth in 2024, with more than 128 million passengers travelling through the Kingdom’s airports. This represented a 15% year-on-year increase and a 25% jump compared to pre-pandemic levels, underscoring the sector’s full recovery from COVID-19. 

Momentum continued in the first half of 2025, when Saudi airports welcomed 66.7 million passengers, handled 467,000 flights, and processed 575,000 tons of cargo, further cementing the Kingdom’s position as one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally.

By consistently uniting decision-makers from the global route development community, Routes World has made a real impact on the world's air services – over half of the world’s new routes are connected to meetings at the event. VPs and Heads of Network Planning from 200 of the world’s leading carriers are expected to attend the event in Riyadh.

Steven Small, managing director of Routes, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's tourism sector has demonstrated extraordinary growth, with international visitor spending reaching $40.95 billion in 2024. This remarkable performance, coupled with the country's strategic location and modern aviation infrastructure, makes Riyadh an ideal host for Routes World 2026.”