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Posts tagged as “Riyadh Air”

Travel: Riyadh Air Now Offers Direct Flight to Manila

September 13, 2026
Travel: Riyadh Air Now Offers Direct Flight to Manila

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new flag carrier owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), officially expanded its Asian footprint following the successful completion of its inaugural flight, RX 0873, to Manila on September 9. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner departed King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh and landed smoothly at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), marking the official start of direct, non-stop service between the two capitals.

Manila represents Riyadh Air’s 13th global destination and 7th in Asia. The route bridges one of the Middle East’s most vital labor, commerce, and tourism corridors with a modern, high-comfort widebody product.

Strategic Significance of the Corridor


Saudi Arabia is home to over one million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) spanning healthcare, engineering, construction, hospitality, and domestic services. For decades, travel between the two capitals relied heavily on third-country Gulf hubs or established legacy carriers. By introducing direct flights, Riyadh Air delivers a seamless, point-to-point journey that saves hours of travel time while facilitating bilateral trade, business partnerships, and tourism.

This route directly supports the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy under Vision 2030, aimed at enhancing the Kingdom’s international connectivity to over 250 global destinations.

Route Operations & Flight Schedule


The route operates using a state-of-the-art, dual-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Initially running four times weekly, the route will ramp up to daily frequencies to handle peak year-end travel demand:

Flight Number Departure Airport Departure Time Arrival Airport Arrival Time Frequency
RX 0873 Riyadh (RUH) 01:05 AST Manila (MNL) 15:55 PHT Daily
RX 0874 Manila (MNL) 17:25 PHT Riyadh (RUH) 22:15 AST Daily

Note: Initial launch operations run four times weekly, scaling up to daily frequencies to meet peak year-end travel demand.

Onboard Passenger Experience


Riyadh Air’s 787-9 fleet brings a modern passenger experience tailored for long-haul travel across Asia and Europe:

  • Cabin Layout: Configured across Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy, and Ergonomic Economy class sections.
  • In-Flight Entertainment: Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova OLED screens featuring wireless audio pairing and fast mobile device charging.
  • Connectivity & Hospitality: High-speed inflight Wi-Fi, curated dining menus fusing authentic Saudi hospitality with international flavors, and integration with the carrier’s Sfeer loyalty ecosystem.

Riyadh Air announces Major Fleet Expansion at the 55th Edition of Paris Airshow with up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft

June 17, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air just announced an order for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft (25 firm orders with options for 25 more) at the 55th Edition of Paris Airshow. This strategic acquisition of long-range aircraft, capable of flying over 16,000 km, will allow Riyadh Air to connect the Saudi capital to over 100 global destinations by 2030, aligning with major upcoming events like Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034.

This agreement with Airbus will make Riyadh Air’s fleet to a total of 182 ordered aircraft and allow them to offer a premium First-Class cabin experience, complementing their previously revealed Business Class and overall innovative guest service, with flights scheduled to begin in late 2025.

Riyadh Air unveil designs for their planes and new promotional video

June 5, 2023
Riyadh Air unveil designs for their planes and new promotional video

Riyadh Air unveil the first of two design of their fleet which blend of cutting-edge technology and timeless elegance. The name Riyadh Air can be seen across the plane and features a lavender colors with stripes design.

Together with the new planes, Riyadh Air also release a 51 secs promo video that teases the public regarding an event on June 12th.

Public Investment Fund (PIF) first announce Riyadh Air in March of this year, explaining that the airline is expected to add US$20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Public Investment Fund (PIF) launches Riyadh Air, a new national carrier to expand Saudi’s local and global aviation industry

March 15, 2023
Public Investment Fund (PIF) launches Riyadh Air, a new national carrier to expand Saudi’s local and global aviation industry

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) just announced the launching of a new national airline Riyadh Air. Wholly owned by PIF, Riyadh Air will leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.

Riyadh Air will be chaired by His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, while Tony Douglas, will be its Chief Executive Officer. Douglas brings more than 40 years of experience in the aviation, transportation and logistics industries.

The newly established airline is expected to add US$20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.