Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air celebrated the launch of its first flights to the Egyptian capital Cairo at the end of last week, with the participation of Egypt's 10 largest travel companies, including Travel Yalla Tourism, on board one of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Riad El Tawil, co-founder and COO of Travel Yalla, said the new aircraft on the Cairo–Riyadh route features a passenger cabin divided into 4 classes: Economy, Premium Economy, Business and Elite Business, noting that the latter is the newest and most luxurious class, and adding that Riyadh Air customers enjoy their own luxury lounge, the Hafawa Lounge.
Cairo is Riyadh Air's fourth destination, alongside London in the United Kingdom, Dubai in the UAE and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The airline currently operates its four routes with 4 aircraft, with one daily flight between Cairo and Riyadh and a second flight set to be added from 29 June.
The founding of Riyadh Air
In March 2023, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund, announced the establishment by the Public Investment Fund of Riyadh Air, the new national carrier, to help develop the air transport sector and strengthen the Kingdom's strategic location linking three of the world's most important continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, and to raise the competitiveness of national companies in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
In April 2025, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation granted Riyadh Air its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) after it met all regulatory requirements and safety and quality standards.
Riyadh Air's fleet orders
In March 2023, Riyadh Air announced its first fleet order for 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, its first step toward achieving its goals to global standards.
In October 2024, Riyadh Air announced an order agreement for 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
In June 2025, Riyadh Air signed an agreement with Airbus for 50 A350-1000 aircraft during the Paris Air Show, including a firm order for 25 aircraft and options for 25 more, bringing the airline's total orders so far to 182 aircraft.
