Overview
- Riyadh Air received its first Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners in early June, with two aircraft (HZ‑RXAA and HZ‑RXAB) ferried to Riyadh and a third (HZ‑RXAC) arriving in Jeddah shortly after.
- The airline has moved up the start of full scheduled service to London‑Heathrow to early June, citing the faster-than-expected arrival of its new 787‑9s.
- Riyadh Air opened public ticket sales for five additional routes — Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid and Manchester — and said those services will begin in a phased rollout through June and July.
- Industry reporting gives the new 787‑9s a 290‑seat layout (28 business, 39 premium economy, 223 economy) and notes the two delivered jets are the first of a larger Boeing order.
- Riyadh Air frames the expansion as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 push to boost connectivity, but coverage distinguishes the carrier’s long-term targets (as many as 72 787s and 100+ destinations) from reported firm orders of 39 787‑9s plus additional A321‑200NX and A350‑1000 purchases.