Riyadh Air will launch daily nonstop service between Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (RUH) and Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) on 9 September 2026, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Manila is the highest-frequency of Riyadh Air's three September launches and the largest addition by seat volume, Aviation Week reports.
The route targets the large Filipino community in Saudi Arabia — one of the Gulf's biggest sources of overseas workers — alongside business, leisure, and sixth-freedom connecting traffic. Riyadh Air is timing its Asian services to feed passengers between Europe and Southeast Asia through Riyadh, per Air Service One.
The Manila launch follows August additions of Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad, and Lahore, and is part of a September expansion that also includes Bangkok (2 Sep) and Manchester (19 Sep). Together the three September additions take Riyadh Air from 11 to 14 destinations, increasing scheduled two-way capacity by 18.6% month-over-month, according to Aviation Week. The airline targets 22 destinations by March 2027 and more than 100 by 2030, Wego Travel Blog reports.
Sources
- Aviation Week — 50 New Routes Launching In September 2026
- Air Service One — Riyadh Air already has 14 routes; all but 2 have direct competition
- Wego Travel Blog — Riyadh Air News: Latest Updates, Routes and Fares
Sources & references (4)
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