Riyadh Air aims to add 2nd India destination by end-2026: Senior executive

Mumbai: Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newest full-service carrier, aims to add a second Indian destination by the end of this year, a senior executive said on Wednesday, a day after the airline launched daily Mumbai-Riyadh flights.

“We would aim at flying to two destinations by the end of the year, including Mumbai,” Vincent Coste, chief commercial officer of Riyadh Air, told reporters.

Coste declined to identify the next destination, saying discussions with Indian authorities are ongoing.


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Riyadh Air, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is seeking to expand its presence in the India-Saudi Arabia market, one of India’s largest international aviation corridors, where it plans to compete for premium travellers and cargo rather than the broader mass market. However, the launch of a second destination will be subject to regulatory approvals.

“We aim at capturing a big part of the premium traffic between India and Saudi Arabia,” Coste told ET in an interview on Wednesday, adding that the airline’s business class, premium economy cabin and Boeing 787-9 operations would differentiate it from existing operators on the route.

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Coste said the airline is also banking on belly cargo carried by its widebody aircraft.

“There is a huge cargo potential from India to Riyadh and beyond Riyadh. Widebody aircraft are the perfect aircraft to get this cargo share of the traffic,” he said.

Mumbai is Riyadh Air’s eighth destination since it started commercial operations on June 10. According to Coste, the carrier plans to expand its network to about 15 destinations by the end of 2026, around 20-22 by the end of the first quarter of 2027, and more than 40 by the end of next year.

The airline expects Airbus A321neo deliveries to enable it to serve more Indian cities beyond routes operated by its Boeing 787-9 fleet.

Coste said India would remain a strategic market because of demand from business travel, tourism, visiting friends and relatives, and religious travel.

According to data from India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), some 89,487 passengers travelled between Mumbai and Riyadh in the March quarter, while cargo volume during the period topped 699 tonnes.
Riyadh Air, launched in March 2023, aims to connect more than 100 destinations by 2030.

The carrier said Saudi Arabia was India’s second-largest international market by scheduled capacity in July 2026, with around 308,000 seats, citing the Official Aviation Guide. It began commercial operations on June 10 this year, with Mumbai as its eighth destination.