A New Airline Is Here: On Board Riyadh Air's Dreamliner to Riyadh

‍LONDON — Over the past few decades, several airlines have gone out of business. Sometimes due to political pressure, sometimes due to mismanagement, sometimes due to increased competition, the number of operators ceasing operations has far exceeded the number of new airlines. It is therefore rare to witness - from foundation to first flight - the rise of a brand new international carrier. Three years after its establishment, Riyadh Air (RX) is here.

The past ~40 months saw RX establish itself, announce three major commercial orders, enter several partnerships, present its cabin product, and commence non-revenue service to London Heathrow (LHR).

On July 10, RX operated its first revenue flight after months of crew and operational familiarisation, a soft launch. On July 26, I stepped on board the airline’s second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, bound for Riyadh (RUH), excited to be one of the very first to try a new global player in its early days, one I had followed since its very inception.

Riyadh Air’s ambition is to connect 100 destinations to the Saudi capital. Through a mixed Boeing and Airbus fleet, RX has already launched three commercial flights to Cairo (CAI), Dubai (DXB), Jeddah (JED) and London Heathrow (LHR), its first international destination. More destinations will join its network soon, such as Madrid (MAD) and Manchester (MAN).

London is calling

I arrived at LHR’s T4 after a short (but delayed) KLM (KL) flight from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). Sprinting through T4 meant I could not properly test the ground experience, missing out on check-in and the lounge. I made it to the gate just on time, seconds before boarding started. Today’s flight is operated by HZ-RXAB, the second Boeing 787-9 to join RX’s fleet. 

The airline relies on the Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350-1000 as its widebody choices, with the A321neo chosen for short and medium-haul. The Dreamliner order was placed days after RX’s foundation, with the first two units getting delivered at the beginning of June, while the A350S were ordered at the 2025 Paris Airshow and will be delivered in several years.

Boarding began on time, with business-class passengers invited to board first. The load at the front of the aircraft was close to 100%, with premium cabins already selling out fast. I was able to pre-select seat 3A before checking in, a window seat on the right side of the right aisle, free of charge. Riyadh Air has equipped its Boeing 787s in a 28J39W223M configuration. The front row of the business-class cabin is sold as “business elite” and features more legroom, storage, and a larger IFE screen. 

Like seats on other airlines with similar products, these seats are sold at a premium over the classic business-class experience. The Safran Unity seat is the hard product’s basis in business class: the 28 seats feature sliding doors, ample charging options, built-in headrest speakers, and more. The design philosophy, materials, lighting, and textures immediately stood out as some of the most elegant and sophisticated in the skies.

At my seat, I found the amenity kit, menu, noise-canceling headphones, bedding kit, and water. A welcome drink was served shortly after; RX is one of the world’s few “dry” airlines, meaning there is no alcohol on board or in its lounges. 

While I am the first to enjoy a glass of champagne, this really did not bother me at all as I was genuinely curious about the signature mocktails on offer. Lemon mint remains a staple I am always eager to try (and make at home), so I was happy to see a lemon mint-inspired signature cocktail. We were also offered traditional Saudi coffee and dates - the coffee felt more velvety and minty than the Omani or UAE counterparts, a difference I did not expect.

I also connected to the WiFi immediately, achieving up to 40 Mbps with no interruptions, both on the ground and in the air. Sfeer Loyalty Program members can use the real gate-to-gate service for free. The WiFi was so good that I was able to stream the qualifying for the Austrian GP and see Ferrari put up a rather decent performance.

Unfortunately, due to a maintenance inspection, we missed our departure slot, leading to an hour-long wait on the ground. This still allowed us to depart before the storm that hit Europe, causing hundreds of delays and cancellations in London.

I quickly checked out the IFE system before departure: the 22” 4K OLED display is perfectly sized for the seat, mighty responsive, and well-designed. I counted almost 600 movie titles, several albums, a great live map, and live TV. There is no remote control for the IFE because it is so close to you. The tray table is located just below and does not limit legroom in lie-flat mode. 

On the right, a stylish console is refined with purple marble tones and houses the seat controls, chargers, and a wide storage compartment for the noise-canceling headphones and water. The table comfortably stores two large cameras and can hold a laptop. While there is no wireless charger, the IFE system supports Bluetooth connectivity for linking personal devices. I tried the in-headrest speakers, a first for me, finding the system quite useful; however, if the volume is set too high, it may disturb the passengers around you.

In flight

Finally, it was time to push back and head to Riyadh. We crossed RWY 09R/27L between two British Airways (BA) widebodies landing and headed to RWY 27R for our departure. The two GEnx spooled up beautifully, powering our Dreamliner into the British sky. After turning left and reaching FL100, I unbuckled my seatbelt and explored the lavatories. 

The business-class section features two spacious lavatories at the front, equipped with toiletries. The amenity kit, in collaboration with Kayanee, offers all the essentials in a stylish pouch, though a few more items could be added, such as a small bag of tissues or a charging cable; a small touch could elevate the experience further.

As this was a day flight, no loungewear was available, though I was told RX might change that soon. Since the menu was available as soon as I boarded, I had plenty of time to study its content. Whenever traveling to the GCC, I always go for Arabic Mezze and Lamb, in whatever form it comes. Lunch service began promptly, with an amuse-bouche followed by the Mezze.

Riyadh Air is, as one would expect, one of the few airlines to operate the dining service without trays - the entire composition was laid in front of me and tasted as great as it looked. I selected the slow-braised lamb shank mandi as my main course, which was truly delicious, served at the perfect temperature and with well-preserved consistency. A warm chocolate fondant ended a great meal during which I enjoyed views of Italy, from Milan to Florence, from Rome to Calabria.

I then reclined my seat and made my bed - RX provides a thick and comfortable mattress in its bedding kit. I slept for almost two hours, making up for the early start to the day. The privacy doors enhanced the “suite” feeling, and the cabin remained at the perfect temperature throughout the flight, even though the Dreamliner has no individual air vents. Riyadh Air also offers an all-day dining menu; I was too late to order anything, but I enjoyed a nice espresso before landing.

Conclusions

There are several layers to the experience I had on RX402, several metrics and comparisons to be made. For an airline that has been selling tickets for only a few weeks, the flight demonstrated a high level of hospitality expertise that one would expect from far more experienced carriers. This is expected given RX's buildup, start-up reputation, financial backing, and ambition. 

The crew’s attention to detail, dining quality, and hard product design and implementation are all semi-spotless in absolute terms: some improvements could be made here and there, such as expanding the amenity kit with a few relatively inexpensive items or adding more options to the IFE. More improvements can be made to the airline’s app, with a few additional features - such as checking the menu before departure - that would further elevate the experience.

However, after 17 days of revenue operations, RX is on the right trajectory to compete in the most competitive region on earth. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad were not built overnight; RX is no exception. There is no doubt that RX will fight the GCC’s giants in five to ten years, and much will change in the coming months and years, closing any remaining gaps with the competition. As a wise spokesperson from the region once told me, “There is space for everyone here”, and RX will surely carve its space. When it comes to the comparison with some of the world’s best airlines, much can still - and for sure will - be improved in due course. 

All in all, RX is here not only to stay but to challenge the aviation panorama in the region. And the basis is as solid as it gets for a startup airline. The Dreamliner often forces airlines to compromise on their hard product choice, but RX’s design and layout stand out in the category, together with all the comforts that one would expect in a world-class business experience.