Saudi Arabia’s new flag carrier, Riyadh Air, will start flying to London Heathrow on 26 October, the first public step in a campaign designed to ready the airline for full service in 2025.
The flights, one return service a day, are less about filling seats than ensuring everything works: aircraft, crew, scheduling, catering, and the lot. In the words of chief executive Tony Douglas, they are “a pathway to perfection.”
London will be followed by Dubai, and once deliveries of new Boeing 787-9s begin, more routes are planned. For now, operations will rely on a single aircraft, a 787 named Jamila, pressed into duty as a “technical spare.”
A measured beginning
The Public Investment Fund owns Riyadh Air, the exact state vehicle driving much of the kingdom’s economic overhaul under Vision 2030. That plan includes turning Riyadh into a global transport hub linking Europe, Asia and Africa.
Douglas, who previously ran Etihad Airways, says the airline’s start-up will be deliberate rather than dramatic.
“This isn’t just a launch; it’s the realisation of a vision to connect Saudi Arabia to the world,” he said this week. “Flying Jamila gives us the chance to test every detail before we scale up.”
Flights will leave Riyadh at 3.15 a.m. and land at Heathrow at 7.30 a.m. local time. The return flight leaves London at 9.30 a.m. and arrives in Riyadh at 7.15 p.m. These are unkind hours for passengers but ideal for training crews and checking ground operations at both ends.
Discipline over glamour
Most new airlines arrive with fanfare. Riyadh Air takes a different path, starting quietly, getting it right, and then opening the doors. This approach would warm the heart of any old-school operations manager.
The airline’s early program will last several months and cover safety audits, customer-service trials and coordination with airport partners. Initially available only to employees and guests, the London flights are as much about learning as publicity.
Aviation analysts in the Gulf describe the method as “patient but serious”. One consultant noted that the country has watched neighbours like Qatar and the UAE build global carriers and is determined to follow suit, but with its identity intact.
Loyalty with a local accent
Alongside the flight news comes something somewhat less tangible but equally ambitious: Sfeer, a new loyalty program.
The name means ambassador in Arabic. True to its title, Sfeer is designed to encourage community rather than competition. Members will be able to share level points with family and friends, echoing the region’s communal values.
Douglas calls it “a digitally immersive lifestyle ecosystem.” Translated from corporate speak, this is an attempt to make loyalty less about spreadsheets and more about belonging.
Early members branded “Founders” can already join at riyadhair.com. They’ll get first access to future ticket sales and invitations to special events. Points will not expire, which is a small but welcome novelty in a field notorious for fine print.
Culture meets technology
Saudi hospitality is famously generous, and Sfeer tries to package that generosity into software. The program will eventually include challenges, leaderboards, and rewards beyond air travel, food, music, and culture.
It’s a clever move. In a region investing heavily in tourism, a loyalty platform that mirrors social behaviour may prove more effective than the usual earn-and-burn model.
For Riyadh Air, it’s also a way to plant its brand before selling the first full-fare ticket. Sign-ups today could become advocates tomorrow.
Part of a larger plan
Riyadh Air is one spoke in the broader wheel. The government wants to increase the number of international visitors from about 27 million last year to 70 million by 2030. To do that, it needs airlines, airports and confidence.
The Public Investment Fund is pouring billions into projects, including a massive redevelopment of Riyadh’s main airport, as it seeks to position the kingdom as a serious player in aviation.
Douglas, a Briton with decades in the industry, brings credibility to that ambition. Those who have worked with him describe a leader obsessed with punctuality and process who would rather a flight leave five minutes early than five minutes late, even on a test run.
He insists the airline will be “premium by default”, with digital systems built from the ground up. That means every passenger interface, from check-in to in-flight entertainment, is designed from scratch rather than inherited from an older carrier.
Cautious optimism
The global airline industry has seen plenty of grand launches fade after the first burst of publicity. Riyadh Air’s challenge will be maintaining momentum once the novelty wears off.
Still, the early signs are promising. Backing from one of the world’s richest sovereign funds gives it financial muscle, and Douglas’s methodical temperament provides ballast. The combination could be potent, provided ambition doesn’t outrun execution.
For now, Riyadh Air is content with taking small, precise steps. London today, Dubai soon after. Routes to Asia and Europe will follow once the fleet arrives and the systems prove themselves.
Douglas kept it simple when asked what passengers should expect: “A smooth, reliable and world-class experience. Nothing less.”
The long view
If all goes to plan, Riyadh Air will serve 100 destinations by 2030, turning the Saudi capital into a genuine crossroads. Whether it can carve space alongside giants like Emirates and Qatar Airways remains to be seen, but few doubt the scale of its ambition.
For travellers, it means another full-service option through the Gulf and perhaps a new standard for what an airline born in the digital age can look like when it values substance over spectacle.
When Jamila lifts off for Heathrow in late October, it will carry more than crew and equipment. It will hold a country’s hopes to prove it can build something world-class, one well-timed departure at a time.
