Inflight Editor Satu Dahl had the pleasure to attend a prestigious gala dinner in London, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s new national airline Riyadh Air. The event on Wednesday evening 1 July celebrated the premium carrier’s key achievements and milestones alongside Riyadh Air’s valued partners.
London, one of Riyadh Air’s key destinations, was the perfect setting for the airline’s gala dinner on 1 July where the Saudi Arabian premium airline showcased its beautiful brand, refined design, world-class hospitality and vision for the future of travel.
The ambitious new airline has achieved several impressive milestones recently, with the latest being the addition of two international destinations, Malaga and Kuala Lumpur, to its route network. This development increases Riyadh Air’s routes to eight in total, with London, Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid, Manchester, Kuala Lumpur and Malaga all starting operations before early August.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, said: “With the addition of Malaga and Kuala Lumpur, we continue to further strengthen our network across key markets for business, tourism, and trade, bringing us closer to our goal of connecting Riyadh to more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.
“Through our growing network, Riyadh Air is now able to offer smooth and convenient onward connections for guests travelling to the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia and beyond. We look forward to welcoming guests aboard to experience our distinctive Saudi Hafawa hospitality as we connect these great cities to Saudi Arabia and help redefine the future of air travel.”
The carrier has now received five Dreamliner aircraft from Boeing, and with the sixth arriving shortly, Riyadh Air says its fleet has experienced unprecedented growth since the first aircraft arrived on 5 June.
The new routes will be served by Riyadh Air’s state-of-the-art 787-9 Dreamliners, featuring world-class cabin interiors. The impressive aircraft cabin interior, designed by PriestmanGoode, blends luxury and comfort to deliver a unique premium experience. The colours and materials reflect Saudi heritage with attention to detail. “Riyadh Air has always promised to deliver a world-class experience for our guests and the unveiling of our cabin interiors make this ambition a reality,” Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air CEO said when the cabin design was announced in 2025.
“The design, layout, and features of our new cabins are carefully crafted to ensure flights are as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. From the ergonomic and luxurious fabrics in the seats to the high-end technology used in the entertainment systems, every facet of the cabins has been chosen to deliver relaxing luxury”.
Riyadh Air’s new 787-9 Dreamliners deliver premium comfort and style across four classes—Business Elite, Business, Premium Economy and Economy—featuring ergonomic seats with plush foam and premium fabrics, fully flat 1-2-1 beds in Business Elite/Business, enhanced privacy and storage in Premium Economy, and adjustable headrests in Economy, plus AC power, USB-C/A charging and Bluetooth audio at every seat.
The aircraft cabins feature Panasonic Avionics Astrova in-flight entertainment systems with over 500 movies, 600 TV series (Shahid, Disney+, HBO Max, Warner Bros.), 1,000 audio albums/playlists, cinema-quality visuals and wireless listening.
Created in collaboration with FlightPath3D, the airline’s next-generation in-flight map is an immersive experience that combines intuitive design, real-time flight data, and rich visual storytelling and delivers a seamless digital companion that inspires exploration.
The onboard experience features bespoke Disney kits for children, John Horsfall bedding, elevated dining and a five-sense wellness programme. Saudi wellbeing brand Kayanee‘s amenity kits are offered on board Riyadh Air’s Business Elite, Business and Premium Economy cabins to long-haul guests. The kits, which feature a range of curated selection of Kayanee skincare products, include nourishing hand and body lotions, hydrating face creams and soothing lip balms. In Business Elite and Business Class, passengers are also offered an exclusive pulse point oil and refreshing facial mist. Exclusive loungewear for Business Elite/Business passengers and Kayanee tops for Premium Economy passengers ensure every guest arrives refreshed.
In April 2025, Riyadh Air chose global satellite communications company Viasat’s onboard connectivity for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner factory-installed deliveries. The carrier’s loyalty members are offered seamless, free onboard Wi-Fi, social scrolling, web browsing and gaming. The service includes access to streaming subscriptions on personal devices as well as seatback screen entertainment such as live TV, as well as Riyadh Air’s apps and digital channels.
When it comes to onboard Wi-Fi on the airline’s Airbus A321 fleet, in January, Riyadh Air announced that it has partnered with Saudi Arabian connectivity company Neo Space Group (NSG), a commercial space services provider, to equip its A321 aircraft with NSG Skywaves. The onboard Wi-Fi is expected to reach speeds of up to 300 Mbps, using HBC+ hardware with a ThinKom Ka2517 antenna and operating on SES’s Open Orbits network.
