Is Riyadh Air About To Launch?

Riyadh Air is edging closer to the launch of scheduled passenger flights with a filing showing the next steps planned.

The filing published on Wednesday by the London Heathrow slot coordinator says that the Saudi Arabia-based carrier would commence flying to the airport from 26 October 2025 and swap a slot with British Airways.

Riyadh Air would be using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, equipped with 288 seats, and would utilise terminal 4 at the airport, according to the swap request form dated 30 July 2025.

Additionally, the form shows that while the date range is between 26 October 2025 and 28 March 2026, for the northern winter schedule, the frequency will be daily with flight numbers of RX401/402.

Riyadh Air has yet to confirm the route network formally, and this commencement date is a mere three months out, meaning much work would need to be done between now and then to get tickets on sale and announcements made.

However, what the filing highlights is that the planning is well underway in the background for the airline to launch scheduled flights after several delays hit the business formally.

Riyadh Air’s Delays To Launch

The launch of the highly anticipated Riyadh Air, however, has been delayed on several occasions, wth the most recent April reporting suggesting a Q4 launch would be most realistic, a timeframe still hoped for.

Riyadh Air commenced its flight testing campaign in September 2024 following the approval to commence non-commercial flights from Riyadh to obtain its all-important Air Operator Certificate, which it has already secured.

However, on several occasions, the company has been forced to delay the commencement of services, where in an ideal world, the airline would’ve already been operating scheduled passenger flights.

Riyadh Air says the delays have primarily stemmed from an inability to take on Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets on time, which is crucial to the launch of the business and building of its initial route network.

Time and time again with fresh delays, Riyadh Air was forced to push out the launch estimate by several months, but now, the formal launch appears to be closer than ever, thanks to the release of a new slot swap filing.

Who Are Riyadh Air?

Riyadh Air has become one of the more highly anticipated airlines to launch scheduled passenger services in recent times, with an already extensive backlog of commercial aircraft awaiting it.

Following efforts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be a desirable location to visit rather than transit through, there has been colossal investment in making this a destination worth staying in.

As a result, much investment has occurred not just for tourist attractions but also for the aviation industry. The launch of this brand is another step in a host of undertakings to increase connectivity options.

Despite initially focusing on a premium service with wide bodies, the emerging airline hasn’t prioritised competing with neighbouring and far more established airlines, such as Etihad, Qatar, and Emirates.

Instead, Riyadh Air wants to carve its pathway for the future and leverage its aircraft to serve niche and major global cities, offering something different for customers.