Riyadh Air set for launching commercial flights to Heathrow
Riyadh Air is finally getting ready for takeoff, promising to run the first commercial passenger flights to London Heathrow in its snazzy blue aircraft before April next year.
Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, owned by the Public Investment Fund, postponed its launch because of a yearlong delay in the delivery of eight Boeing 787 aircraft. Now that four of the planes have arrived, Riyadh Air will start flying to London and Dubai, with five other destinations to follow, CEO Tony Douglas told The National.
“Early in the new year we will be up and running,” Douglas said in an interview with the Abu Dhabi newspaper on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow.
Riyadh Air, part of Saudi Arabia’s effort to return an air of chic to international travel, unveiled the couture-influenced uniforms worn by its flight attendants on a Paris runway last year. Last month, the airline started flights to Heathrow that were limited to employees of Riyadh Air and the PIF, as well as select guests.
Flydubai, meanwhile, announced it will introduce a three-class layout on its Boeing 787 planes, operating business class, economy and premium economy sections starting in 2027.