Riyadh Air Soars High with New Islamabad Route, Broadens Asian Reach
Saudi Arabia’s latest national carrier, Riyadh Air, is swiftly revolutionizing the global aviation landscape with a new wave of route launches this August. The airline, a venture of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and operator of a fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, initiated daily nonstop service to Islamabad, Pakistan on August 14, 2026. This was closely followed by thrice-weekly flights to Lahore commencing on August 16. These new routes join the earlier August launches to Mumbai, India (August 4) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (August 7).
The expansion into South Asia increases Riyadh Air’s total network to nine destinations, a crucial step in the carrier’s ambitious strategy to expand to 22 destinations by March 2027. The ultimate goal is to serve more than 100 international cities by the end of the decade. The new routes are strategically designed to cater to business travelers, tourists, families, and the over two million Pakistani expatriates residing and working in Saudi Arabia.
All long-haul international flights are operated using state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, configured in a four-cabin layout. Riyadh Air, which only commenced commercial service in June 2026, has also recently gained regulatory approval for future routes to Beijing, Shanghai, and the United States, indicating an even more ambitious global growth on the horizon.
Source: Aviation Week | Aviation A2Z