Riyadh Air adds Milan: where Saudi Arabia's new airline flies. Riyadh Air is adding Milan to its fast growing network. The Saudi carrier will fly four times weekly between Riyadh and Milan Malpensa from December 2026, using the Boeing 787-9. It is the latest step in one of the most closely watched airline launches in the world. Here is its guide to where Riyadh Air flies today, what is coming next and what it means for the wider Gulf market. Discover more Aircraft manufacturer directory Airline ticket booking Boeing 737 models Riyadh Air's new Milan route. The airline announced ticket sales for Milan on 22 September, according to the Riyadh Air media hub. Aviation A2Z reports that flight RX519 will depart Riyadh at 02:45 and arrive in Milan at 07:05. Aviation research reports The return, RX520, leaves Milan at 09:55 and lands in Riyadh at 17:15. The flights operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Departures use Terminal 2 at King Khalid International Airport and Terminal 1 at Malpensa. The overnight departure from Riyadh gives passengers a full day in Milan on arrival. Discover more Aviation news updates Flight tracking service Try Piloting The daytime return suits connections onward to Asia later that evening. Book Flights Where Riyadh Air flies today. The Saudi carrier has grown quickly since starting commercial operations, with London Heathrow among its first international routes. The Wego travel blog noted in August that the network included London Heathrow, Dubai, Jeddah, Cairo, Madrid, seasonal Malaga, Manchester, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai and Dhaka, with Islamabad and Lahore following in mid August. September was another busy month. Aviation Week reports that Riyadh Air launched Bangkok three times weekly from 2 September, Manila daily from 9 September and Manchester three times weekly from 19 September. Those additions took the network from 11 to 14 destinations. Aviation Week, citing OAG data, says scheduled capacity rose 18.6% month on month to 265,692 seats in September. Aviation news subscription Why Manila and south Asia matter. The route choices tell The Aviation Hub a great deal about the airline's strategy. Manila, Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore all serve large expatriate communities working in Saudi Arabia. Aviation Week notes that Manila targets the substantial Filipino population in the Kingdom, as well as business, leisure and connecting traffic. These markets offer reliable year round demand. Europe plays a different role. London, Manchester, Madrid and now Milan bring premium business travellers and tourists into Saudi Arabia, supporting the country's wider Vision 2030 tourism ambitions. Discover more Compare Cars Aviation career guide Flight simulation software How big will Riyadh Air become? The ambitions are enormous. Aviation Week reports that the airline plans to serve 22 cities by March 2027. The airline received its first two factory new aircraft in June 2026, with orders spanning the Boeing 787, Airbus A321neo and Airbus A350 still to be delivered. That growth will depend on deliveries. Boeing and Airbus both face production challenges, and new airlines are often the most exposed when delivery slots slip. Partnerships are central to the plan. Riyadh Air is not trying to grow alone. The airline has announced a partnership with national carrier Saudia, which its media hub describes as the first of its kind. Aviation Week has also reported that ANA and the Saudi carrier have agreed to cooperate on network development. Aviation news subscription Partnerships like these allow a new airline to offer many more destinations than it can serve with its own aircraft. Riyadh Air has also invested heavily in brand building. It holds the naming rights to Atlético Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium, giving it strong visibility in one of its key European markets. Competing with the Gulf giants. The biggest question is competition. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad already dominate connecting traffic between Europe, Asia and Africa through their Gulf hubs. The airline's advantage is its home market. Saudi Arabia has a far larger population than the UAE or Qatar, and much of its early traffic is likely to be point to point rather than transfer. Over time, the airline will also try to build a connecting hub. Milan to Manila or Manchester to Kuala Lumpur via Riyadh are exactly the kind of journeys it will need to win from established rivals. The Aviation Hub recently covered Emirates' next generation fleet in its piece on the first Emirates 777X rolling out of the factory, a reminder of the scale the Saudi carrier is up against. Regional risks. The operating environment is challenging. Malay Mail reported that Saudi authorities issued an air raid alert in Riyadh on 19 September after explosions were heard in the capital. Security concerns can affect demand, insurance costs and airspace routings. Any airline based in the region has to build that uncertainty into its plans, and a young carrier has less financial cushion than its established rivals. The bottom line. Riyadh Air is growing at a pace few new airlines have attempted. Milan adds another premium European city, while its Asian routes tap into deep expatriate demand. The next six months will be critical. Reaching 22 destinations by March 2027 would confirm that the plan is on track and set up an even bigger push towards 2030. You can follow the airline's fleet as it grows using its Airline Search and Aircraft Search tools. Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight!

Swissport, Riyadh Air to launch Saudi Arabia's first load control centre. RIYADH Wed, 30 Sep 2026 Swissport and Riyadh Air have signed a long-term strategic partnership to establish Saudi Arabia's first Centralised Load Control (CLC) centre in Riyadh, supporting the airline's expanding domestic and international network. The centre is expected to become operational within eight months and will provide centralised load planning, aircraft weight and balance calculations, and load documentation for Riyadh Air flights. The partnership combines Swissport's global aviation operations expertise with Riyadh Air's growth plans, while supporting the development of specialised Saudi aviation talent. Both companies will invest in knowledge transfer and skills development to build a sustainable local capability. Centralised Load Control is responsible for ensuring aircraft loads comply with weight and balance requirements before departure. The Riyadh centre will operate according to Swissport's global systems, procedures and operational standards. Through Swissport Academy, Saudi professionals will receive structured training in load planning, weight and balance and related operational processes. The facility will also expand Swissport Saudi Arabia's service portfolio and provide a platform for developing additional load control capabilities as Riyadh Air continues to build its network. Dirk Goovaerts, CEO Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa, India and Global Cargo Chair, Swissport, said: "Riyadh Air is building a new generation of aviation in Saudi Arabia, and we are pleased to support that ambition through this strategic partnership. Establishing the Kingdom's first Centralised Load Control center brings specialised aviation expertise closer to the airline's operations while creating opportunities for Saudi professionals to build skills in an important area of flight operations." Hamad Alhemede, CEO of Swissport Saudi Arabia, said: "This partnership is an important step in developing specialised aviation expertise in the Kingdom. We will combine Swissport's global standards and experience with local talent, supported by Swissport Academy, to build a strong team capable of operating the center and supporting Riyadh Air's growing network from Saudi Arabia." Pankaj Handa VP Ground Operations at Riyadh Air, said: "At Riyadh Air, we are building a global airline from the Kingdom, and we believe achieving that ambition starts with developing strong and sustainable operational capabilities here at home. Our partnership with Swissport Saudi Arabia is an important step in developing specialised expertise and strengthening local capabilities in a critical area of airline operations, supporting the growth of our global network and our ambitions for the future. "The value of this partnership goes beyond the delivery of operational services. It is about transferring knowledge, developing capabilities and contributing to the wider aviation ecosystem in the Kingdom as the sector continues its rapid transformation." -TradeArabia News Service

Flyadeal CEO reveals plans for premium economy and long-haul network. September 7th, 2026 at 10:10 AM EDT Skift take. Flyadeal's move into connecting flights and premium economy marks a natural next step for a budget carrier scaling into long-haul. Flyadeal, the budget subsidiary of Saudi Arabian national carrier Saudia, is preparing to add connecting flights onto its existing point-to-point network, according to acting CEO Sanjiv Kapoor. "Until now, the model for Flyadeal has been a point-to-point airline where connections were not part of our strategy," he told Skift on Monday. "But in the coming weeks, we're going to introduce connecting flights with origin and destination fares and seamless connections." The network changes come as the airline's fleet continues to evolve. Flyadeal will take delivery of single-aisle Airbus A321neos in the second half of next year and A330neo widebodies in the fourth quarter of 2027. Aircraft delivery delays have clipped network expansion plans across the industry. Air India is still waiting on a large orderbook to expand its network, while new Saudi carrier Riyadh Air's launch was repeatedly pushed back by supply chain and certi