Riyadh Air Secures Approval to Operate US Flights

Riyadh Air has been granted a foreign air carrier permit by the United States Department of Transportation, clearing the way for the Saudi-funded airline to operate scheduled passenger flights between the kingdom and American cities. The approval removes a key regulatory barrier for the carrier — backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund — as it prepares to launch transatlantic services that are central to its long‑haul strategy.

“The biggest global aviation startup in modern history,” said Chief Executive Tony Douglas, describing the scale and ambition of Riyadh Air as it builds toward international service.

Context and background

Established in 2023 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 program, Riyadh Air aims to reposition the Saudi capital as a global business and tourism hub. The airline has publicly targeted connections to more than 100 destinations by 2030 and has positioned transatlantic routes to the United States as a core element of that expansion.

Tony Douglas, the former head of Etihad Airways, has led the carrier through its setup phase. Riyadh Air initially targeted a 2025 launch, but that timeline shifted amid delivery delays from Boeing affecting the rollout of widebody aircraft. The company now expects to begin commercial operations later this year.

Fleet, orders and competitive positioning

• Riyadh Air has placed substantial aircraft orders that underpin its planned network: up to 72 Boeing 787s, as many as 60 A321neos, and 50 A350s.
• The airline's fleet strategy and the scale of its orders have been cited by leadership as evidence of an unusually large aviation startup effort.
• With U.S. operating permission now in hand, Riyadh Air is set to compete directly with established Gulf carriers — Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad — which already run extensive services to American cities.

The foreign air carrier permit from the U.S. regulator authorises Riyadh Air to begin commercial operations to American destinations, though the specific rights granted and any conditions attached to the permit were not disclosed at the time of approval. Industry observers have suggested that Saudi entry into the North America–Middle East market could reshape competition on long‑haul corridors linking North America with the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.

What comes next

Riyadh Air has not yet announced specific launch dates, fares, or the initial U.S. destinations it will serve. Company officials are expected to release further details on inaugural routes in the coming months as aircraft deliveries progress and commercial planning solidifies.

Operational timing will depend on remaining regulatory clearances, crew training, slot coordination at target airports, and the arrival schedule of its widebody fleet. If Riyadh Air meets its revised timeline to begin commercial operations later this year, the airline will move quickly from regulatory approval to route announcements and ticket sales, setting the stage for a costly and closely watched expansion in a market long dominated by incumbent Gulf and legacy carriers.