The full commercial launch of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious new airline Riyadh Air is drawing closer. The carrier will introduce its first brand-new Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the Riyadh–London Heathrow route starting July 1, alongside the full opening of ticket sales to the public since May 19. The airline confirmed that tickets are now available via its mobile app, its website riyadhair.com, as well as through partners and travel agencies.
As a reminder, Riyadh Air has already been operating rotations between Riyadh King Khalid International Airport and London Heathrow since October 26, using a Boeing 787-9 leased from Oman Air for certification and crew familiarization purposes. These flights were primarily reserved for Riyadh Air employees and entities linked to the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), and allowed the airline to utilize its allocated Heathrow slots.
The Boeing 787-9 aircraft delivered to Riyadh Air will feature a four-class configuration (Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy), including lie-flat seats in business class, Bluetooth audio connectivity, power outlets, and USB-C/USB-A ports at every seat.
Riyadh Air was launched in 2023 by the Saudi government, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, which aims in particular to connect Saudi cities to 250 destinations and attract 150 million tourists. The airline has ordered 72 Boeing 787-9s, 60 Airbus A321neos, and 25 Airbus A350-1000s, with a target of reaching 100 destinations by 2030.
Around fifteen destinations have already been identified as priorities for the new carrier from Riyadh International Airport, although route launches and frequencies will be closely tied to aircraft deliveries from Boeing (787-9) and Airbus (A321neo), and remain subject to regulatory approvals. In Europe, Riyadh Air is targeting London Heathrow (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Madrid Barajas (MAD), and Manchester (MAN). In Asia, planned routes include Bangkok (BKK), Jakarta (CGK), Islamabad (ISB), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Lahore (LHE), Manila (MNL), and Mumbai (BOM). In the Middle East, the airline aims to serve Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), and Cairo (CAI). The young Saudi carrier also plans to connect Jeddah (JED), its first domestic route.
For the moment, the the airline has officially confirmed only 3 destinations (London Heathrow, Dubai, Cairo) for the launch of its scheduled operations.
