Riyadh Air to launch inaugural flight to London on Oct. 26

Riyadh Air, one of the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) portfolio companies, announced the launch of its first daily flights to London Heathrow Airport starting Oct. 26, 2025.

In a statement received by Argaam, the airline said that daily operations between Riyadh and London Heathrow will commence using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the airline’s reserve aircraft named “Jameela”.

Tickets will be available to select passenger groups and Riyadh Air employees, as part of an operational readiness program ahead of the delivery of the carrier’s first Boeing aircraft.

The inaugural flight RX401 will depart from King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh at 3:15 am, arriving at London Heathrow at 7:30 am local time.

The return flight RX402 will depart from London at 9:30 am and arrive in Riyadh at 7:15 pm local time, the statement added.

Following these initial operations, the airline plans to launch additional flights to Dubai, supported by a comprehensive evaluation program for the inaugural operations on board the technical reserve aircraft “Jameela”.

This program aims to ensure full operational readiness ahead of launching new destinations for the Winter 2025 and Summer 2026 seasons in the coming weeks.

Riyadh Air also unveiled its passenger loyalty program, “Safeer”, as part of its customer engagement initiatives.

According to Argaam data, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in March 2023 that PIF established Riyadh Air as a new national carrier to help develop the aviation sector and enhance Saudi Arabia’s strategic position as a global transport hub.

The airline aims to operate flights to more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives.