Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s second state-owned airline alongside Saudia.Image: Screenshot https://www.riyadhair.com/en/experience
Despite massive disruption to air traffic caused by the Iran war, Saudi Arabia is allowing a new airline to take off. A plane from the new company Riyadh Air landed in London on Wednesday from the Saudi capital Riyadh, as seen on aircraft tracker Flightradar 24.
June 10, 2026, 11:54 amJune 10, 2026, 11:54 am
In addition to London, the airline will initially fly from Riyadh to Manchester, Madrid, Cairo and Dubai as well as the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. Flights to around 100 destinations are planned in the coming years.
Riyadh Air is the country’s second state-owned airline alongside Saudia and is intended to help advance the kingdom’s reform program known as “Vision 2030”. Saudi Arabia wants to expand its importance for tourism, trade and logistics and become more independent from oil.
Riyadh Air is intended to help bring more tourists and business people into the country. The country competes in the region primarily with Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Attacks in Gulf states with thousands of missiles and drones
In more than three months of Iran war, air traffic, trade and tourism in the region have been disrupted in unprecedented ways. Iran attacked the Gulf states with thousands of rockets, drones and cruise missiles in retaliation for attacks by the US and Israel. Many flights were canceled and ticket prices rose significantly, which also affected state airlines such as the Emirates and Qatar.
“Of course we all hope that the conflict will be resolved very, very soon,” said Riyadh Air managing director Tony Douglas to the Al-Arabiya news channel. Overall, the foundations for the new airline are “very strong”. (sda/awp/dpa)