Saudi Arabia has a new airline. It is called Riyadh Air. On 10 June 2026, it flew its first passengers from Riyadh to London.
The aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This is a modern, wide-body plane that uses less fuel than older jets. The flight left King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at 2:35 in the morning. It arrived at London Heathrow at 7:30 in the morning. The flight number was RX401. The journey takes about eight hours.
Riyadh Air is a very new airline. Saudi Arabia owns it. The airline received its first two planes on 5 June 2026. A third plane arrived two days later. Riyadh Air started flying to London three weeks before it had planned. The airline and its first passengers were happy about this early start.
The Boeing 787-9 has four sections for passengers. They are called Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. All passengers have their own screen to watch films and TV programmes. They can also use Bluetooth and fast internet. The cabin has comfortable seats and mood lighting.
Riyadh Air does not only fly to London. The airline has opened ticket sales for Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, and Madrid. It wants to fly to 100 cities around the world by 2030. That is a very big ambition. To reach this goal, Riyadh Air has ordered up to 72 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.
Saudi Arabia wants to become a major centre for world air travel. Many travellers today fly through Dubai or Doha to reach their destinations. Saudi Arabia wants to offer the same service. The government is spending a lot of money on airports and tourism. Riyadh Air is an important part of this plan. Its first flight to London is a big step forward for Saudi aviation.
Key vocabulary:
- inaugural – first; happening for the very first time
- wide-body – a large aircraft with two aisles between the seats, used on long international routes
- hub – a central place that connects many other destinations; an airline hub is a city where passengers can change flights to reach many other cities
CEFR Level A2 / ICAO Level 3