Riyadh Air opens ticket sales for Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, Manchester and Jeddah as Saudi airline accelerates expansion
Saudi Arabia's new carrier Riyadh Air announced on June 8 that it will launch three-weekly Riyadh–Manchester service starting July 23, marking the airline's second UK destination as it accelerates its public network rollout.
Riyadh Air (RX), Saudi Arabia's new full-service carrier, announced on June 8, 2026 that it will launch three-weekly nonstop service between Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) and Manchester Airport (MAN) beginning July 23, 2026 (Aviation Week).
All flights will be operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners configured in four cabins — Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. Manchester becomes Riyadh Air's second UK destination, following daily Riyadh–London Heathrow service that was brought forward from its original July 1 start date to June 10, 2026, after three 787-9s arrived from Boeing's delivery centre faster than planned (AeroTime).
The Manchester announcement was part of a broader network release on June 8 that simultaneously opened ticket sales for five routes: Jeddah (June 14), Dubai (June 18), Cairo (June 25), Madrid (July 17), and Manchester (July 23). Each is served by the new Dreamliner fleet, of which Riyadh Air expects to have 10 aircraft by end-2026 on a path toward 72 total (Condé Nast Traveller ME).
CEO Tony Douglas framed Manchester as "a major economic and cultural hub with strong existing ties to the Kingdom," positioning the route to serve the substantial British-Saudi travel market and establish Riyadh as a hub for onward connections to the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The airline targets a network of more than 100 destinations by 2030.
Sources
- https://www.arabianbusiness.com/business/transport/riyadh-air-opens-ticket-sales-for-dubai-cairo-madrid-manchester-and-jeddah-as-saudi-airline-accelerates-expansion
- https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/routes-networks-latest-rolling-daily-updates-wc-june-8-2026
- https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/riyadh-air-alters-heathrow-airport-start-date
- https://www.cntravellerme.com/story/riyadh-air-opens-bookings-for-five-new-destinations-as-first-boeing-787s-arrive
Things to do at each end of the route
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