Riyadh Air wins U.S. approval for flights, boosting global expansion
U.S. approval gives Riyadh Air a direct path into the world’s most lucrative long-haul market, sharpening its challenge to Gulf rivals and widening Saudi Arabia’s aviation push.
Riyadh Air has cleared a key hurdle to entering the U.S. market, gaining permission to operate flights to and from the United States just weeks after filing for authority. The approval gives Saudi Arabia’s newest carrier more than a regulatory badge: it opens the door to transatlantic expansion, deeper partnerships and a sharper bid for long-haul passengers.
The U.S. Transportation Department granted the authority on June 16, saying the move was consistent with the public interest. Riyadh Air, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and launched in 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had asked on May 5 for a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority to run scheduled and charter service between Saudi Arabia and the United States. The airline is still in its launch phase, but it has already begun to move like a serious network player.
Last week, Riyadh Air started its first London service using its new Boeing fleet, a symbolic first step into premium intercontinental flying. The carrier’s first deliveries included Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and its stated aim is to connect Riyadh to more than 100 destinations globally by 2030. That scale target matters because access to the U.S. market is often as much about credibility as it is about seats: approval from Washington signals that Riyadh Air can now be treated as a serious contender in global aviation.
The airline has also told regulators that it already has, or is planning, partnerships with at least 10 international carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Delta has separately said it plans to begin nonstop Atlanta-to-Riyadh service in October, a route that would mark the first nonstop U.S. airline service to Saudi Arabia. That kind of bilateral traffic could quickly turn a paper authorization into real competition for passengers, especially on one-stop journeys linking North America, the Gulf and South Asia.
The broader stakes reach well beyond one airline. Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s second national carrier after Saudia, and it is designed to help make Riyadh, with King Khalid International Airport as its base, a rival hub to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. For Saudi Arabia, the airline is part commercial engine, part diversification tool and part geopolitical asset, meant to support tourism, connectivity and the kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda while giving Riyadh a stronger voice in the competition for global traffic.
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