Saudi Aramco's Boeing 737 makes 13-minute shuttle to Ras Tanajib as crude loadings resume at Ras Tanura

Saudi Aramco's Boeing 737-8AL, tail number N801XA, was tracked completing a 13-minute shuttle from coordinates in the Persian Gulf to Ras Tanajib Airport (OETN) on July 1, 2026. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of just 1,400 feet and a ground speed of zero knots, indicating a hover or very short repositioning near Aramco's eastern operations hub.

If Saudi Aramco was aboard, the flight lands the same week the company resumed crude loadings at Ras Tanura, its largest export terminal, after a nearly four-month shutdown triggered by the Strait of Hormuz closure and a March 2 refinery fire. According to shipping data cited by Reuters and covered by The Energy Year, two very large crude carriers began loading at Ras Tanura around June 25, marking a return to normal export operations. The restart follows a U.S.-Iran interim agreement that reopened the strait, per Arab World News, with Aramco CEO Amin Nasser expressing confidence in ramping output.

Ras Tanajib Airport serves Aramco's massive offshore and onshore oil fields in the eastern province, and the company's Mukamalah aviation division routinely shuttles executives and engineers between remote facilities. Recent flight history shows the 737 moving frequently between Dammam, Ras Tanura, and other domestic points, consistent with the operational tempo of the world's largest oil exporter as it pivots toward energy realism and fiscal diversification.