Riyadh Air operates inaugural flight as Boeing 787 touches down at London Heathrow Airport
October 26, 2025
Riyadh Air has launched its first flight this morning as its Boeing 787 touched down in London Heathrow. The aircraft, named Jamila is the airline’s technical spare aircraft. The airline will fly daily between Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and London Heathrow, as it continues preparation for its first aircraft deliveries from Boeing.
As it stands, the flights are not bookable by members of the public. Instead, the carrier says they are “initially on sale to select groups and Riyadh Air employees,” including members of its owner, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Riyadh Air’s first flight landed at 07:14 local time
The airline’s first and only Boeing 787 is registered HZ-RXX and operated the flight to London Heathrow. Named “Jamila” which in Arabic means “the beautiful one,” the aircraft was formerly operated by Oman Air. It has and will continue to be used for pilot and crew training, as well as other operational readiness activities. It supported the award of its Air Operator’s Certificate back in April.
The service departed Riyadh 03:26 local time as flight RX401 and touched down earlier this morning at 07:14. Flight time was six hours and 49 minutes. At the time of publication, the plane has already departed London for Riyadh. Riyadh Air will continue to operate the route on a daily basis with the following flight times:
- Departure from Riyadh: 03:15, landing in London at 07:30
- Departure from London: 09:30, landing in Riyadh at 19:15
How did Riyadh Air get slots at London Heathrow?
London Heathrow slots are notoriously difficult to come by. Riyadh Air managed to secure them through what is known as the bmi remedy process. When British Airways acquired bmi in 2012, it also agreed to give up some of its slots on certain overlapping routes. This includes services from London Heathrow to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Nice, Cairo, Moscow and Riyadh.
الحمدلله على السلامة
— Riyadh Air (@RiyadhAir) October 26, 2025
وصلت اليوم أولى رحلاتنا الافتتاحية إلى لندن، في خطوة جديدة ضمن مسارنا نحو الانطلاق من الرياض إلى العالم والوصول لأكثر من 100 وجهة بحلول عام 2030 🌎#طيران_الرياض pic.twitter.com/W8WYaZs4Iq
It is unlikely that Riyadh Air’s flights this winter are going to be full as there is access is blocked for the public for now. However, as London Heathrow regulation requires that flights need to operate 80% of the time for which the slot is allocated, Riyadh Air has little choice if it wants to keep its lucrative spot. As it grapples with delivery delays, the London Heathrow route will allow it to continue preparations and accumulate necessary operational experience.
A new, international player
The first flight is quite symbolic. Operating to slot-constrained London Heathrow is a testament to the company’s willingness to become a key international player, rivalling Middle Eastern giants Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways. As Saudi Arabia’s second flag carrier, the new company will gradually takeover Riyadh operations from Saudi Arabian Airlines by 2030, which will in turn focus on Jeddah.
The airline was set up by the Saudi Public Investment Fund to support the country’s transition away from an oil-dependent economy. Its Vision 2030 project aims to make the country a global aviation hub, increasing passenger traffic to about 330 million per year from over 250 destinations.
When he announced the London launch, Douglas said that it represented the “tangible realisation of a vision to connect Saudi Arabia to the world, a core pillar of Saudi Vision 2030.”
Featured image: Riyadh Air
