Riyadh Air

The Public Investment Fund established Riyadh Air on March 12, 2023, to serve as the Kingdom's second flag carrier. Tony Douglas took the helm as chief executive officer following his departure from Etihad Airways. The airline bases its operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a mandate to connect over 100 destinations across six continents.

Strategic planning emphasizes a mixed fleet of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. While early orders included Airbus A321neos and A350s for regional routes, the carrier expanded its long-haul ambitions significantly in July 2026 by committing to purchase 28 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners and adding the 787-10 to its order book.

Commercial partnerships accelerated rapidly during the 2026 expansion phase. Riyadh Air secured approvals to serve Beijing and Shanghai starting in August 2026 while finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding with All Nippon Airways to establish a loyalty and codeshare framework. The carrier also launched new services to Islamabad and Lahore that same month and positioned itself for US market access through Delta Air Lines' October 2026 Atlanta-Riyadh route launch. [edit]