Saudi Arabian Airlines obtained its AOC in April of this year.
Photos.- Ryadh Air Socia Net X
Riyadh Air flight RX401 marked a new milestone in the Saudi airline’s operational certification process, completing a 6-hour, 48-minute flight on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The only passengers on board were company employees, representatives of the Public Investment Fund (PIF)—the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund backing the project—as well as strategic partners and special guests.
According to company sources, the first operations will continue to be restricted to corporate personnel as part of the procedure validation and crew training phase, prior to the start of regular commercial flights.
Flight crew posing next to the Boeing 787 after its historic arrival at London Heathrow Airport
Gradual expansion and projected network
Riyadh Air plans to offer daily connections to Riyadh and London, a route that will serve as the starting point for its growth plan, which includes a network of up to 100 destinations over the next five years. The company has already confirmed that Dubai will be the next destination to be added to its initial operations.
Fleet and orders in progress
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered HZ-RXX, in use since January 2025, is leased to Oman Air and is not part of the Saudi airline’s original order. The order, announced at the 2023 Paris Air Show, includes 72 units of the model (39 firm orders and 33 options).
In parallel, Riyadh Air has expanded its procurement portfolio with two new contracts: 60 Airbus A321neos and up to 50 Airbus A350s, with deliveries expected to begin in the last quarter of 2025. These aircraft will form the backbone of the company’s fleet for its international expansion.
Certification and next steps
La aerolínea recibió su Certificado de Operador Aéreo (AOC) en abril de 2025, emitido por la Autoridad General de Aviación Civil (GACA) de Arabia Saudita. Con este aval, Riyadh Air se encuentra en la fase final de preparación para iniciar operaciones comerciales, consolidando su papel como nuevo operador de bandera del Reino y pieza clave en la estrategia nacional para convertir a Arabia Saudita en un hub global de transporte aéreo.
