Riyadh Air resets London launch for July 1
Tickets go on sale today, with more destinations to be revealed in June as the Saudi start-up builds its global network.
By David Flynn, May 19 2026
Riyadh Air has reset its long-awaited launch to July 1, with tickets for the inaugural route between the Saudi Arabian capital and London going on sale today (Saudi time).
Riyadh–Manchester will follow, along with Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah and Madrid, across the back half of the year, with a second wave of European and perhaps Asian destinations still to be announced.
While the Saudi start-up has been flying Riyadh-London on a daily basis since October 2025, tickets have been restricted to airline staff and their families, and the aircraft in use was a ‘technical spare’ Boeing 787 previously flown by Oman Air.
That’s about to change, with Riyadh Air taking delivery of its first Dreamliner fitted with the airline’s own cabin design and inflight entertainment system.
Riyadh Air's 787 business class.
Business class features doored suites with all the mod-cons plus a few unique touches, such as immersive high-fidelity sound delivered directly into the headrests, John Horsfall bedding and amenity kits and ‘loungewear’ from luxury Saudi brand Kayanee.
Riyadh Air's 787 business class.
A row of Business Elite suites takes the experience up a notch, offering even more space – and, in the middle, a double bed.
Riyadh Air's 787 Business Elite suite.
Read more: Riyadh Air’s stunning new 787 business class
Behind this sits a separate cabin with premium economy recliners featuring winged privacy headrests.
Riyadh Air's 787 premium economy class.
There’ll be 39 seats across six rows, arranged a standard 2-3-2 grouping – making the paired seats by the window ideal for couples.
There are no surprises in the 19.2” seat width or 38” pitch or calf rest, all of which are fairly standard for premium economy on a Boeing 787.
Riyadh Air's 787 premium economy class.
However, Riyadh Air has upsized the video screen to a generous 15.6” – more than in some business class seats – and spec’d a bright 4K OLED panel, with Bluetooth audio beamed to the passenger’s own headphones or earbuds.
Read more: Riyadh Air’s new ‘comfort plus’ premium economy seat
In Riyadh Air’s 233-seat 787 economy cabin, passengers can expect a standard 3-3-3 layout with 31” pitch and 17.2” seat width, 13.3” 4K OLED screens andtwo USB-C charging points.
Riyadh Air's 787 economy class.
From tip to tail, all passengers who are members of the airline’s Sfeer loyalty program will enjoy free high-speed Wi-Fi, while also earning points that never expire, along with the ability to share points and tier benefits with friends and family.
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas promises that all passengers will be treated to “a truly world-class journey... that blends exceptional comfort, cutting-edge technology and our distinctive Saudi Hafawa hospitality from the moment they step on board.”
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.
“Today marks a truly exciting milestone for Riyadh Air as we introduce our new aircraft and signature premium experience on our established London route,” Douglas adds.
With a planned delivery cadence of one Dreamliner per month across this year to a fleet of at least 39 planes (with options to acquire up to 33 additional 787s), along with an order for 60 single-aisle Airbus A321LR jets, the Gulf airline aims to connect more than 100 destinations by 2030.
Riyadh Air's 787s will sport two striking liveries.
“Connecting the UK directly with Saudi Arabia and beyond through our growing network of global destinations sits at the very heart of what we are building at Riyadh Air and the Kingdom’s ambitions under Vision 2030.”
Also read: Riyadh Air eyes ‘game-changing’ first class suites
Etihad - Etihad Guest
21 Jul 2019
Total posts 229
I note that Riyadh Air is not using "supply chain issues" and "seat certification delays" to delay its launch. How wonderfully refreshing for an airline determined to cut through obfuscation and delay..
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1278
If I was flying in Premium Economy, I'd be happier with a screen that was 2" smaller if pitch was 2" more. As anyone who has flown on a QF 787 knows, 38" is not enough especially when the seat in front of you reclines.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 604
I reckon every passenger would be happy with 2" less screen and 2" more pitch, but we all know this is not how the economics work. A 2" smaller screen costs not much less to the airline and if there's room for a bigger better screen in the premium economy seat, you put it in. But adding 2" to the seat pitch comes at a very real cost, you would basically lose a row of seats somewhere, and this is not a once-off cost like a slightly larger seatback screen, it's lost revenue on every single flight of the plane for the life of the plane. So, nah, not going to happen.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 604
Must have been super-frustrating for Riyadh Air over the past six months, and especially the regional instability of the past few months adding more uncertainty. Really hoping those aircraft deliveries get moving at a fast pace now, and eventually we see RX flying to Australia, as the past few years have shown us, more competition in the skies is a good thing.
21 Oct 2023
Total posts 3
Good article about RX take up and deployment of B787 aircraft, however the pic of the 2 liveries included in the article look suspiciously like A350s (note winglets)? So incorrectly tagged as 787s?
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