Riyadh Air announces launch of flights to London Heathrow (with a twist)

Riyadh Air has been preparing for its launch with an ambitious timeline; however, it has been unable to go live, primarily due to the delay of its aircraft. Their first order was for 787-9 aircraft, and the airline. The airline has also announced its own custom interiors, but that only adds to the timeline. However, Riyadh Air will still meet its launch timeline, albeit with a slight adjustment. Read on.

Riyadh Air announces launch plans.

Riyadh Air has announced launch plans today, including its first route. The airline will launch its flights in 2025 as planned, without taking delivery of its first plane, but with a twist. The airline has announced that it will launch flights between Riyadh and London, effective October 26, 2025. The flights will be operated as per the following schedule:

RX401 Riyadh to London departing 3:15 AM arriving 7:30 AM
RX402 London to Riyadh departing 9:30 AM arriving 7:15 PM

There is an angle to this which shouldn’t be missed. The airline won slots to London Heathrow through the bmi remedy process for winter 2025. The remedy process is where British Airways (which acquired bmi in 2012) has to give up select slots when they are remedied. The European Commission approved the takeover at the time, subject to British Airways making slots available on specific overlapping routes where it considered that competition would be lessened. These were London Heathrow to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Nice, Cairo, Moscow and Riyadh.

The allocation came to light in July 2025. Now, at LHR, you must operate with an 80/20 rule, which means that your flight must be operated at least 80% of the time for which the slot is allocated. If you don’t comply, the slot is taken away. This is done so that airlines don’t collect and hoard slots, but only take on as many as they need.

Riyadh Air will use an ex-Oman Air Boeing 787-9 aircraft for flights.

Riyadh Air does not have its own fleet of jets, so how is it launching flights, you ask? Riyadh Air had taken on a plane from Oman Air in January 2025, registered as HZ-RXX and named “Jamila”. This was used to prove flights, enabling Riyadh Air to obtain its Airline Operating Certificate. The airline further used the jet for crew training and kept it as a spare aircraft. This aircraft is now being called for duty to launch operations. The aircraft has 30 Business Class seats and 258 Economy Class seats.

You will still be unable to buy a ticket on Riyadh Air.

Riyadh Air will launch these flights, but tickets will not be available for purchase at this time. Why? Because this is not a Riyadh Air product. And so, Riyadh Air doesn’t want you to see it. Instead, these are called “Pathway to Perfect” flights, where employees of the airline and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with their families, will be able to travel on invitation. Here is what Riyadh Air says about this move,

These carefully sequenced flights, initially on sale to select groups and Riyadh Air employees, are a critical phase in ensuring unparalleled operational readiness ahead of receiving the first aircraft deliveries from Boeing.

This important phase of Pathway to Perfect will see flights to Dubai added soon after, transparently demonstrating Riyadh Air’s rigorous commitment to operational excellence. Through a thorough assessment program of these initial launch flights on Jamila, the airline is building operational strength for a smooth, reliable, and world-class premium travel experience, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s dedication to the highest standards of quality.

Here’s how Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas described this development:

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. Our commitment to begin operations in 2025 is being fulfilled. This rigorous flight program on Jamila allows us to fine-tune every detail, ensuring a seamless, reliable, and world-class experience. This carefully sequenced approach is our pathway to perfect, and we are now incredibly close to full operations with further destinations to be announced in the coming weeks as our new aircraft are delivered.

And there he gives away the second destination. Dubai (DXB) is expected to be Riyadh Air’s second destination, with flights scheduled to launch within weeks of the London service. From there, Riyadh Air expects to sell tickets in late December 2025 or early January 2026 for a commercial launch, when the airline is expected to have taken delivery of two 787-9s. Once the two aircraft take on their respective routes (London and Dubai) the airline will sell tickets.

Bottomline

Riyadh Air will launch flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow in late October 2025. These flights will be operated by an ex-Oman Air Boeing 787-9, and will be offered only to the employees of Riyadh Air and the Saudi PIF. This will be done so that Riyadh Air complies with the slot guidelines. The second destination is intended to be Dubai. After the airline receives its own 787-9 aircraft, which are expected to arrive in November 2025 onwards, the airline will start selling tickets to the travelling public.

What do you think of Riyadh Air’s soft launch of London flights?

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