Saudi Arabian startup carrier Riyadh Air is going from strength to strength network-wise, having opened reservations on four new routes in the last week or so from its main hub at King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two of these corridors are on the shorter side, serving nearby Pakistan, while the other two will see the airline spread its wings further east, deeper into Asia.

For each of these new corridors, Riyadh Air has planned a quick turnaround from opening reservations to operating the first flights, with one route even set to be served as early as this time next week. In this article, we will take a closer look at the nature of the carrier’s new additions routes-wise, and see how they fit into the bigger picture of its existing wider network. We will also examine its fleet plans.

Four New Routes

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According to Aero Routes, Riyadh Air’s two new corridors to Pakistan, for which reservations opened last week, will link its main hub at Riyadh Airport with Islamabad (ISB) and Lahore (LHE). The Islamabad flights will operate seven times a week and start on August 14, while the thrice-weekly Lahore flights are set to commence operations on August 18. Both routes will be served by the Boeing 787-9.

Further afield, Riyadh Air has also recently opened reservations for its new flights to Bangkok (BKK) and Manila (MNL). According to Aero Routes, it will fly four times a week to Bangkok from September 2, while Manila’s flights will run on a daily basis from September 9. Once again, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will also be the aircraft of choice on these routes, with CEO Tony Douglas saying about the type that:

“Following the recent launch of full operations, guests have been hugely impressed with the Riyadh Air experience onboard our current fleet of six Boeing 787 jets.”

Riyadh Air’s Network As A Whole

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While Riyadh Air’s new flights to and from Pakistan look set to operate in isolation, those serving Bangkok and Manila are not just aimed at point-to-point traffic. Indeed, the carrier has timed these services to feed into its other flights, allowing passengers flying from Bangkok and Manila to connect in Riyadh for onward journeys towards destinations in Europe. Such models are common in the Middle East.

As far as Riyadh Air’s existing or already-announced routes are concerned, its European presence is largely centered around Spain and the UK. Indeed, its destinations in the former country include Madrid (MAD) and Malaga (AGP), while its UK presence consists of London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester. Closer to home, Middle Eastern destinations from Riyadh include Dubai (DXB) and Jeddah (JED).

Riyadh Air also has a limited African presence in the form of Egypt’s Cairo International Airport (CAI). Its remaining destinations are all Asian: Dhaka in Bangladesh (DAC), Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia (KUL), and Mumbai (BOM) in India. The carrier plans to operate a grand total of 22 routes by March of 2027, and it has also set itself the ambitious goal of operating 100 routes by the end of the decade.

The Carrier’s Fleet Is Also Set To Grow Significantly

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For now, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner remains the backbone of Riyadh Air’s fleet, with present scheduling data made available by ch-aviation showing that all eight of its current jets are examples of this model. Going forward, the carrier has outstanding orders for another 40 787-9s, as well as 20 stretched 787-10s. The 20 orders for the 787-10 were converted from 787-9 orders at the Farnborough Airshow.

Farnborough also saw Riyadh Air make waves by firming up another six orders for the Airbus A350-1000. This brought its commitment for the type to a total of 31 aircraft. The carrier has also committed to flying Airbus narrowbodies, with 60 units of the single-aisle A321neo in its order book at this moment in time. Riyadh Air certainly seems upwardly mobile, but will it be too much too soon? Only time will tell.