Riyadh Air will introduce a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its London-Riyadh route as public ticket sales officially opened on May 19, after delivery delays.
Full-service flights between King Khalid International Airport (RUH) and London Heathrow (LHR) will commence July 1, with the airline saying, “additional destinations to be announced soon.”
The new state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, fitted with the airline’s own cabin design and inflight entertainment system, is set to be delivered in the coming weeks, following delays of the aircraft type.
Riyadh Air has operated daily flights from London’s Terminal 4 since October 2025, using the airline’s technical spare “Jamila”—leased from Oman Air—as part of its “Pathway to Perfect” operational readiness plan.
At the time, tickets were restricted to staff and family members of the airline and its parent body, the Public Investment Fund. The aim was to iron out any problems in operational procedures in areas such as ticketing, baggage handling and onboard services before starting full commercial services.
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said the new London service marks “a truly exciting milestone for Riyadh Air.” “Connecting the UK directly with Saudi Arabia and beyond through our growing network of global destinations, sits at the very heart of what we are building at Riyadh Air and the Kingdom’s ambitions under Vision 2030,” Douglas said.
The carrier currently has 39 Boeing 787-9 aircraft on firm order, with options for 33 additional jets. Riyadh Air has also placed orders for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and 60 Airbus A321neo planes as part of its long-term growth strategy.
By 2030, Riyadh Air aims to connect passengers to more than 100 destinations worldwide.
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