Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, Riyadh Air, will begin daily flights to London Heathrow on 26 October, marking the airline’s operational debut.
The airline, which is owned by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), had previously delayed its launch because of aircraft delivery schedules. The inaugural flights will use a designated Boeing 787-9 spare aircraft named ‘Jamila’ while the company awaits new planes from manufacturers.
Phased Launch
Initially, tickets will not be available to the general public. The first flights will carry a select group of “founding members” and Riyadh Air employees as part of a test phase designed to refine operations before a full commercial launch.
“These carefully sequenced flights… are a critical phase in ensuring operational readiness ahead of receiving the first aircraft deliveries from Boeing,” the airline explained.
The daily service, RX401, will depart Riyadh at 3:15 am, arriving at London Heathrow at 7:30 am. The return flight, RX402, will leave London at 9:30 am. Following the London launch, the airline plans to add flights to Dubai, with more routes to be announced for winter 2025 and summer 2026.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, said the launch is a “tangible realization of a vision to connect Saudi Arabia to the world, a core pillar of Saudi Vision 2030.” He added, “Our commitment to begin operations in 2025 is being fulfilled.”
Fleet and Loyalty Programme
While the airline has not announced exact delivery dates for its new aircraft or when public ticket sales will begin, it has a substantial order book. This includes 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft, and 25 firm orders for the Airbus A350-1000, with options for another 25. The total committed fleet stands at 124 aircraft, with a potential to reach 182.
Riyadh Air is also introducing a loyalty programme called Sfeer, which means “ambassador” in Arabic. Early members will be designated as ‘The Founders’ and will receive priority access to future bookings. The programme will feature community engagement, gamified experiences, and a policy of no points expiry.
Douglas described the initiative as more than a standard loyalty scheme. “With Sfeer, we’re creating… a dynamic, digitally immersive lifestyle ecosystem,” he said. The airline has not yet confirmed a date for the full activation of the programme’s features.
