Riyadh Air

First flight from Heathrow

Today, I am very excited to be flying with Riyadh Air on its flagship route from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to King Khalid International Airport (RUH). Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia's new national airline which was launched in 2023 as part of the country's wider Vision 2030. The airline has already secured its operating licence and services between Riyadh and London began in late October 2025 although the route is not yet fully up and running.

An airline without its own aircraft

Surprisingly, Riyadh Air is an airline that doesn't have any aircraft…..yet. The one which I am flying on is a leased Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Oman air. The airline was very keen to point out that they have four more Boeing 787-9 aircraft (RXAA, RXAB, RXAC, RXAD) awaiting delivery from Boeing's 787 factory in Charleson USA. When these aircraft are delivered, the airline intends to offer a full service with further destinations including Dubai, Cairo, Madrid and Manchester.

An airline with 124 aircraft on order, numerous codeshares already signed, and not a single aircraft of its own.

A major global carrier in the making

To date, the airline has firm orders for 124 aircraft including 39 x 787s, 60 x A321neos (for short haul) and 25 x A350s (for long haul). The airline has already signed multiple partnership and codeshare agreements with carriers such as Delta, Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Singapore Airlines, giving it instant connectivity beyond its own route network which is likely to give Emirates, Qatar and Etihad (not to mention Saudia Airlines and British Airways) a good run for their money. This airline is certainly NOT a small startup but a major global carrier in the making.