Riyadh Air launches first domestic service to Jeddah

Riyadh Air officially launched its domestic operations to King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah. The milestone marked a significant step in the airline’s network expansion from Riyadh as its inaugural flight took off from Kind Khalid International Airport (RUH) at 9:00 AM  and was scheduled to land at King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) at 10:50 AM. The flight was welcomed by Eng. Mazen Johar, Chief Executive Officer of Jeddah Airports Company, alongside airport leadership and stakeholders.

This first domestic arrival marked a key addition to the airlines growing route network from Riyadh, which commenced with two daily flights on June 14 and increases to three daily flights as of June 18, followed by four daily flights from July 2. Airline’s entry into this market comes at a time of unprecedented demand. According to data from aviation analyst OAG, the Riyadh-Jeddah corridor ranked as the fifth busiest domestic route globally in 2025, recording 9.8 million seats. By introducing its world-class service to this high-density route, Riyadh Air is directly supporting the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, delivering premium capacity to support Saudi Arabia's booming tourism, business, religious and economic sectors.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, commented: "The launch of our new service to Jeddah marks another historic moment in our journey to increase connectivity to Riyadh. This route has been carefully selected to serve a key market for business and cultural travel, aligning with our ambition to become a global airline and a significant contributor to Vision 2030. We look forward to welcoming our guests aboard to experience our distinctive Saudi Hawafa as we connect these two great cities and continue to redefine the future of air travel."

Eng. Mazen bin Mohammed Johar, Chief Executive of King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah, stated: "We are proud at Jeddah Airports to welcome Riyadh Air’s first flights on its inaugural domestic route between Jeddah and Riyadh, which reflects the advanced level of collaboration across the various components of the aviation sector. This step contributes to strengthening air connectivity between the Kingdom’s two most important cities and supports efforts aimed at enhancing service quality and expanding travel options for passengers, in line with the objectives of the national aviation sector. The continued growth in operational traffic reflects King Abdulaziz International Airport’s position as a major aviation hub. During the first quarter of 2026, the airport served more than 14.8 million passengers across nearly 84,000 flights. The significant expansion in destinations and travel options contributes to strengthening air connectivity in support of the Aviation Program derived from the National Aviation Strategy and the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030."

These flights strengthen the airline's mission to connect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and deliver a world-class travel and logistics experience. The vital Riyadh-Jeddah route enhances crucial business ties, providing seamless access to Jeddah as a major commercial port city and a strategic gateway for both religious journeys to Makkah and Madinah, and diverse tourism along the Red Sea coast. Additionally, the service positions Riyadh as a key transport hub, offering convenient onward connections for passengers travelling from Jeddah to premier global destinations such as Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, and Manchester.