Finance
Riyadh Air to launch inaugural flight to London on October 26
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 8, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 8, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Riyadh Air will launch its first flight to London's Heathrow on October 26, initially selling tickets to PIF and employees, with public sales to follow.
RIYADH (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air is set to launch its inaugural flight on October 26, with Britain's Heathrow Airport as its first destination, state TV reported on Wednesday.
Riyadh Air's CEO Tony Douglas said in a press conference that the second destination will be Dubai.
Douglas added that initial ticket sales will be for Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF) and Riyadh Air employees, and public sales will follow soon.
Saudi Arabia announced in 2023 the creation of Riyadh Air which is wholly owned by PIF, and is expected to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030.
Saudi state TV added that the company will receive Boeing 787-9 aircraft within months.
(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam and Jana Choukeir; Writing by Tala Ramadan and Ahmed Elimam; Editing by Louise Heavens)
Riyadh Air is a new airline wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), aiming to operate over 100 destinations by 2030.
A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund or entity that manages the national savings for the purposes of investment.
An inaugural flight is the first flight of a new airline or route, marking the official start of its operations.
Boeing 787-9 is a long-haul, wide-body, twin-engine jet that is known for its fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.
Ticket sales refer to the process of selling tickets for travel or events, which can include pre-sales for specific groups before public sales.
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