Delta CEO predicts Americans will soon be ready to travel to Riyadh as he launches first-ever direct flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia

In a strategic move reshaping global aviation routes, Delta Air Lines is launching the first-ever direct flights between the U.S. and Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The historic new route, discussed onstage at the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh, marks a major milestone in relations between the countries and underscores Saudi Arabia’s accelerating ambitions to position itself as a global aviation hub. It will have to overcome natural hurdles that Americans have, Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell.