Riyadh Air launches cargo unit, marks entry into global air cargo market

Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air announced today the launch of its cargo operations under the brand “Riyadh Cargo”, marking the airline’s entry into the global air cargo market and activation of belly-hold cargo operations across its wide-body fleet.

In a statement, the company said that Riyadh Cargo’s strategy includes the utilization of capacity on Riyadh Air’s over 120 on-order wide-body aircraft, which we will use to move goods efficiently and reliably, connecting global markets.

Moreover, the launch of the brand reflects a deliberate, phased approach to building a scalable and integrated cargo business, anchored at the airline’s Riyadh hub, and designed to grow in step with network expansion and operational maturity.

According to the airline, Riyadh Cargo has demonstrated remarkable operational momentum on the Riyadh to London Heathrow route, successfully transporting substantial cargo volumes across a wide spectrum of commodities.

Riyadh Cargo has partnered with CHAMPS’s Cargo spot-neo, a next-gen cargo end-to-end platform. The digital management system enables greater operational control, enhanced data visibility, and more responsive decision-making, supporting service reliability as volumes and network complexity expand, the statement added.

On the ground, cargo handling and hub management are delivered in partnership with SATS Saudi Arabia Company. Services are provided at key airports across the Kingdom, including King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam, and King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.