Riyadh Air News
Riyadh Air Commences Daily Dubai-Riyadh Flights as Inaugural Flight Takes Flight
Riyadh Air, the Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, today celebrated the inauguration of its 3rd official destination, starting daily service connecting Riyadh and Dubai, operated on one of its brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The daily service, flight RX243, scheduled for departure from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) at 14:05 with arrival at Dubai Airport (DXB) at 17:00, marking a major milestone in the airline’s evolution and continuing to build a new era of travel and connectivity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh Air Completes First Commercial Flight on Brand New Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to Heathrow
Riyadh Air, the Kingdom’s new national carrier, celebrated its first commercial (maiden) flight operated on its brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which arrived in Riyadh from Boeing only five days earlier on June 5. The daily service, flight RX401, departed from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) for London Heathrow (LHR) marking a major milestone in the airline’s evolution and beginning a new era of travel and connectivity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh Air and Atlético de Madrid Partnership Expands to Include Women’s First Team
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier and Atlético de Madrid announce the expansion of their strategic partnership, with the airline becoming the front-of-jersey sponsor for the club’s Women’s First Team. This multi-year agreement mirrors the sponsorship of the men’s team that was signed in 2023 and will start with the 2026-2027 season.
Riyadh Air Introduces New Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on Riyadh-London Route
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, today announced the launch of full public sales for flights between Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) and London Heathrow (LHR). This key route, which introduces the new aircraft on 1 July 2026, strengthens the airline’s mission to connect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with major global and regional hubs and deliver a world-class travel and logistics experience. Ticket purchases can be made from today (19 May, 2026) through the Riyadh Air App, Riyadh Air website at riyadhair.com, or through preferred travel providers and platforms. Guests are also invited to become ‘Founding Members’ of the airline’s loyalty program, Sfeer, ensuring a Best Offer Guarantee and free Wifi while earning rewards from their very first flight.
Riyadh Air to Launch Daily Service To Egyptian Capital
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, has announced Cairo as a key addition to its growing network, with daily services to begin soon from Riyadh aboard its new state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This vital route strengthens the airline’s mission to connect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with major global hubs and deliver a world-class travel experience, directly supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Riyadh Air Launches Overseas Scholarship Program for Saudi Nationals
Riyadh Air has launched its First Officer Scholarship Program with Guaranteed Employment, creating a new pathway for Saudi nationals to train, qualify, and return home prepared to operate the airline’s Boeing and Airbus fleet as First Officer Pilots.
Riyadh Air and Mastercard take off together to redefine the global travel experience
Riyadh Air and Mastercard today unveiled a bold strategic alliance that brings together payments, travel and technology to reshape how people and businesses experience global travel. With no legacy programs in place, Riyadh Air is in a unique position to jointly create an extensive financial and payment ecosystem that is unprecedented from day one. The collaboration introduces a powerful suite of innovations spanning consumer payments, premium airport experiences and next-generation B2B travel payments – positioning Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global travel evolution.
Saudi Post | SPL and Riyadh Air Celebrate a National Milestone with a Commemorative Stamp
The Saudi Post Corporation | SPL, in collaboration with Riyadh Air, has issued a set of commemorative stamps with a denomination of 3 riyals to mark the launch of its first inaugural flights on 26 October 2025. This coincides with the start of its preparatory operational phase, “The Pathway to Perfect.”
Riyadh Air Launches ‘Employment First’ Overseas Aviation Training Scholarship Program
Riyadh Air’s newly-announced ‘Employment-First’ Overseas Scholarship Program aims to launch several scholarship tracks, starting with two specialized paths for engineers in Australia, followed by a pilot training program in the United States.
Riyadh Air and Huawei Sign an MoU to Advance Digital Capabilities for a New Future of Air Travel
Riyadh Air and Huawei have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which brings together the former’s global growth vision and the latter’s technological expertise to elevate how guests discover, book and experience travel with the Kingdom’s new national carrier. The partners have already explored new opportunities in smart aviation and digital innovation, and this MoU marks the next significant step in the airline’s ambition to become one of the world’s most digitally advanced carriers.
Riyadh Air and IBM Partner to Launch World’s First AI-Native Airline
At IBM Think Riyadh 2025, IBM and Riyadh Air announced a major milestone in their collaboration, unveiling Riyadh Air as the world’s first AI-native airline. Designed from the ground up without legacy patch work, these AI-driven operations provide the foundation to transform guest and employee experiences and set a new benchmark for innovation in the aviation industry.
Riyadh Air Accelerates ‘Pathway to Perfect’ with Landmark Technical, Training, and Travel Agreements
At Dubai Airshow 2025, Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, today announced a comprehensive suite of technical, training, and travel partnership agreements designed to rapidly scale its operations and enhance the passenger experience. These pivotal collaborations encompass a major expansion of its A321neo fleet support through new engine orders and state-of-the-art pilot simulators, technology and comprehensive maintenance & digital operations for its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. An array of strategic travel MoUs signed with key agencies align to cement Riyadh Air’s position as a digital-native, future-focused airline, contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.