Riyadh Air Adds 3 New Routes With Boeing 787

Riyadh Air will launch three new international routes as part of its continued efforts to expand its network with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner rapidly.

Coming weeks after commencing scheduled passenger flights to London Heathrow, Riyadh Air is now targeting three more cities with Kuala Lumpur, Malaga and Dhaka all slated to welcome the airline in the coming months.

With launches as early as this month and into next, this ambitious airline is fulfilling its promises of rapid expansion and ensuring that Saudi Arabia can truly be transformed into a global hub not just for transit travel but also as a destination in its own right.

The New Riyadh Air Routes Coming

The airline is expected to launch the Riyadh-to-Malaga service first on the Boeing 787, with flights slated to commence on 14 July 2026. This puts forward a direct link between Saudi Arabia and the Costa del Sol, with Malaga joining Madrid and Manchester as part of the early framework for long-haul flights west from its hub.

On 30 July 2026, Riyadh Air will expand into Asia, with service slated to commence in Kuala Lumpur. This vibrant city serves as one of the most important gateways to Southeast Asian markets, especially for businesses in Saudi Arabia.

The third launch, coming on 7 August 2026, is to Dhaka. Riyadh Air flags strong labour and leisure demand between the Gulf and Bangladesh, meaning this link gives customers immediate access to nonstop service.

Riyadh Air’s timings and full schedule for these flights are still pending confirmation; however, ticket sales have gone live, and the business continues to welcome Boeing 787s as they enter service, enabling network scaling.

Where These Routes Fit For Riyadh Air

Riyadh Air hasn’t shied away from its ambition since launch, making it clear that its starter network will be built out rapidly following the commencement of scheduled passenger flights, as it has now done with London Heathrow.

In recent weeks, many more locations have been added to the route map, and by year’s end, the airline’s global coverage will already position it as a genuine flagship airline. Over time, the destinations will scale to four, and the 787-9s will be pivotal for this until jets like the A321neo and A350-1000 are delivered, offering more flexibility.

Kuala Lumpur for business is a no-brainer; the city offers a much-needed connection to Asia, specifically Southeast Asia, and is a hub in its own right. Riyadh Air has seen strong travel flows to Saudi Arabia, driven by business and even religiously related demand.

Capturing the nonstop traffic between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur also eliminates the need for some passengers to connect via close-to-home Jeddah or take a neighbouring competitor via Dubai and Doha.

Malaga is more of an airline push into the class holiday routes; this sunny destination is attractive in both directions, with a high-density leisure market gaining access to nonstop service to Riyadh and then onwards across the network that it’ll build out over time.

Dhaka, while closer to home, focuses more on the regional corridor, where strong demand is evident among the Bangladeshi workforce, making year-round connectivity robust and necessary. The 787 deployment demonstrates the Dreamliner’s versatility and the airline’s commitment to the product, with significant numbers deployed for both regional and international flying.