Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air opened ticket sales for three weekly flights from Riyadh to each of Malaga and Kuala Lumpur, adding two destinations to the new national carrier’s expanding network, the airline said on June 30.
The additions point to the Public Investment Fund-owned carrier’s drive to build a global airline serving more than 100 destinations by 2030, a central plank of Saudi Arabia’s push to position Riyadh as an international aviation hub under Vision 2030.
Fares start at SAR1,150 ($307) for Malaga and SAR1,450 for Kuala Lumpur. The flights will operate on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, with the carrier preparing to take delivery of its sixth aircraft soon.
The two additions bring Riyadh Air’s planned network to eight destinations from Riyadh by August, including London, Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid and Manchester.
“The launch of our flights to Malaga and Kuala Lumpur is a new step in the expansion of our global network, connecting Riyadh with more than 100 destinations around the world and providing more flexible and seamless travel options for our guests to multiple destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia,” said Riyadh Air Chief Executive Tony Douglas.
The carrier will operate seasonal direct flights to Malaga from July 14 to September 8, followed by the launch of a direct Riyadh-Madrid route on July 17. The Madrid route carries strategic weight for business and tourism, alongside a sporting dimension through the carrier’s partnership with Atletico Madrid and its Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium.
Guests travelling to Asia will have regular year-round flights to Kuala Lumpur from July 30.
Riyadh Air continues to operate commercial flights to London, Jeddah and Dubai, alongside Cairo, which received its inaugural flight late last week.