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.
Riyadh, April 14, 2026, SPA — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a new global milestone by ranking first worldwide in the Digital Readiness Framework 2025 issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Kingdom scored 94 out of 100 within the “Very High” category, advancing to first place globally, compared to 90 points and fourth place in the previous year. The Kingdom topped the global ranking, followed by Finland and Germany in second and third place with 93 points each, then the United Kingdom in fourth place with 92 points, Norway in fifth place with 91 points, and France in sixth place with 90 points