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Riyadh Air takes off on first domestic route to Jeddah

Riyadh Air takes off on first domestic route to Jeddah

Riyadh Air takes off on first domestic route to Jeddah

Jun 15, 2026

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.