Having recently secured a highly coveted slot at London Heathrow, Saudi Arabian start-up Riyadh Air on 26 October will launch its first daily flights from the Kingdom’s capital to LHR using a Boeing 787-9 twinjet that it leased from Oman Air to serve as a technical spare and training aircraft.
These daily nonstop flights will initially be available for sale to “select groups” and Riyadh Air employees, and represent “a critical phase in ensuring unparalleled readiness” in advance of Boeing’s delivery of new three-class 787-9s to Riyadh Air, the airline says.
Readiness flights to Dubai will be added soon after the RUH-LHR inaugural. And new routes are set to be announced in the coming weeks for winter 2025 and summer 2026.
Riyadh Air has also unveiled a unique new loyalty program. Boasting a community-centric design and a gamified experience, Sfeer will allow members to share points and benefits with friends and family with the goal of “fostering a sense of collective reward and generosity that reflects the values of Saudi society,” Riyadh Air explains.
Notably, the airline has adopted a “no points expiry” policy to embody the essence of Saudi generosity.
Early joiners of Sfeer will be recognized as ‘The Founders’ and will receive priority access to bookings on future flights, along with other benefits. The program will be fully activated in 2026.
“With Sfeer, we’re creating much more than just a loyalty program; we’re building a dynamic, digitally immersive lifestyle ecosystem,” says Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas. “Our vision is to truly change the game, offering unparalleled benefits and fostering a unique sense of community among our members.”
Saudi Arabia, under its Vision 2030 initiative, is investing heavily across all sectors, including in air transport. The aim is to reposition the Kingdom as a global aviation hub, able to serve 330 million passengers and attract 100 million visitors annually by 2030.
Hubbed at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Riyadh Air is a key part of that growth plan. It intends to connect guests to over 100 destinations around the world by 2030 by offering an exceptional guest experience with an authentic, warm Saudi hospitality at its heart.
In the last few weeks, the carrier has revealed it will focus on passenger wellness by offering a new line of amenity kits and loungewear. It will also introduce a next-generation inflight map experience in collaboration with FlightPath3D. Its 787-9s will be kitted from nose to tail with Panasonic Avionics’ modular new Astrova IFE system, whilst Viasat will power inflight Wi-Fi on the first batch of new Dreamliners.
“This isn’t just a launch; it’s a tangible realization of a vision to connect Saudi Arabia to the world, a core pillar of Saudi Vision 2030,” Douglas says of Riyadh Air’s forthcoming inaugural.
“Our commitment to begin operations in 2025 is being fulfilled.”
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Featured image credited to Riyadh Air
