Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new national carrier, launched its first domestic flight from Riyadh to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Sunday (June 15).
The move is part of Riyadh Air's plans to expand its domestic network through
daily flights between Riyadh and Jeddah and strengthen connectivity between
major destinations across the Kingdom.
The inaugural flight arrived from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh
with Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfig Al-Rabiah, President of the General
Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Riyadh Air board member Raid
Ismail, and several aviation-sector leaders on board.
They were received by Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO) Raed Al-Mudaiheem, JEDCO CEO Mazen Johar, and
representatives of government and security agencies operating at the airport.
Riyadh Air launched the route with two daily flights.
Frequencies will increase to three daily flights from June
18 and four daily flights from July 2.
The route is being launched amid strong demand growth.
According to aviation
analytics firm OAG, the Riyadh-Jeddah route ranked as the world's fifth-busiest
domestic air route in 2025, with 9.8 million seats.
By operating the service, Riyadh Air supports national strategies by providing
additional seat capacity that contributes to the growth of the Kingdom's
tourism, business, and economic sectors.
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said the launch of flights to Jeddah marks an
important milestone in the airline's journey toward building a broad network
connecting Saudi Arabia with the world.
He noted that the route serves a large segment of business
and leisure travellers and supports the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to develop
the aviation sector and strengthen air connectivity.
JEDCO CEO said the new service reflects integration among the
components of the Kingdom's aviation ecosystem and contributes to expanding
travel options and enhancing passenger services.
He added that King Abdulaziz International Airport served
more than 14.8 million passengers through nearly 84,000 flights during the
first quarter of 2026, reflecting continued growth in operational activity. -TradeArabia News Service