Riyadh Air Opens Bookings For New London Heathrow Flights
Riyadh Air flights to soar from 1 July 2026
Riyadh Air has officially opened public ticket sales for its upcoming Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow, marking the next major milestone for the Kingdom’s ambitious new national carrier.
Flights between Riyadh and Manchester are expected to follow, with additional European destinations tipped to be revealed in June.
From 1 July 2026, Riyadh Air will begin operating its own 787-9 aircraft to London, replacing the interim flights currently flown using the carrier’s technical spare aircraft. Previously operated by Oman Air, this spare aircraft retains its original cabins and has been flying daily between Riyadh and London since October 2025 as part of Riyadh Air’s “Pathway to Perfect” operational readiness program.
The July launch will mark Riyadh Air’s first fully fledged commercial service using its newly delivered Dreamliner fleet. Daily flights will depart Riyadh at 2:35am, arriving in London Heathrow at 7:30am (6h 55m duration). The return service is wheels-up from London at 9:35am, before landing back in Riyadh at 6:05pm (6h 30m duration). All times are local.
Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air CEO, says that these flights will deliver a truly world-class journey for guests.
"Today marks a truly exciting milestone for Riyadh Air as we introduce our new aircraft and signature premium experience on our established London route…Connecting Saudi Arabia with the UK directly and beyond through our growing network of global destinations including Jeddah, Cairo and Dubai, sits at the very heart of what we are building at Riyadh Air,”
Inside Riyadh Air’s Boeing 787-9 Cabins
At the front of the aircraft, Riyadh Air introduces "Business Elite," featuring four exclusive seats arranged in a spacious 1-2-1 configuration. Each Safran Unity Elite seat transforms into a fully flat bed measuring 78 inches long and 22.5 inches wide. Notably, passengers will enjoy the privacy of 52-inch-high walls and sliding doors. But the real star here is the enormous 32-inch 4K OLED entertainment screen, the largest in business class today.
The remaining business cabin boasts 24 Safran Unity seats, also arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, maintaining the same bed length, seat width, and privacy standards, accompanied by a still-impressive 22-inch screen.
A unique touch in Business Elite is the centre double bed option, reminiscent of Qatar Airways' popular QSuite. This feature allows couples travelling together to enjoy enhanced comfort and privacy.
Riyadh Air Premium Economy
Moving back, the premium economy section hosts 39 Recaro PL3530 seats arranged in a comfortable 2-3-2 configuration. These seats offer an ample 38-inch pitch and 19.2-inch width, alongside generous 15.6-inch 4K OLED screens. Interestingly, while the seat model is the same used by Emirates, Riyadh Air has introduced significant customisations, resulting in a visually distinct and rather good looking product. Added comforts include privacy head wings, expandable side tables, calf rests, and USB-C charging points.
Riyadh Air Economy Class
Economy class passengers haven't been overlooked, with 223 ergonomically-designed Recaro R3 seats laid out in a standard 3-3-3 configuration. These seats feature a 31-inch pitch and 17.2-inch width, enhanced by 13.4-inch 4K OLED screens, adjustable headrests, and USB-C charging. Thoughtfully selected plush fabrics and ergonomically crafted foam should ensure comfort, even on extended journeys. For those paying attention, you would have noticed that the material selection and stitching is identical to the business class suites, offering a cohesive design language throughout the entire airplane.
How To Book Riyadh Air Flights
As of May 19, tickets for Riyadh Air’s London Heathrow services are available for booking through the airline’s website.
Riyadh Air hasn’t advised any ticket starting prices, but at the time of writing, a seat on the inaugural flight from Riyadh to London in business class was priced at 14,050 Saudi Arabian Riyal (A$5,270). For premium economy, we saw SAR 4,583 (A$1,720) and in economy, SAR 2,578 (A$970).
For now, there aren’t any frequent flyer points redemption options for Riyadh Air. So if you want to try Saudi Arabia’s new flag carrier, you’ll have to fork out the cash.
Riyadh Air does have its Sfeer loyalty program, and it is widely expected that we will see loyalty partnerships with several SkyTeam airlines, including Air France-KLM, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic.
