Riyadh Air (RX) opened ticket sales for three new destinations on June 29, 2026, adding Malaga, Spain, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, to its booking platform. The Saudi start-up carrier, based at King Khalid International Airport (RUH) (which is one of the busiest routes in the world) Riyadh, made the routes bookable through its website, app and travel agents, according to AeroTime. Flights to Malaga begin July 14, Kuala Lumpur on July 30, and Dhaka on August 7, 2026.
The announcement comes weeks after Riyadh Air launched its first commercial flight to London Heathrow (LHR) on June 10, 2026. CEO Tony Douglas said the new routes bring the airline closer to its target of connecting Riyadh to more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030, according to FlightGlobal. The carrier now has eight confirmed destinations, spanning Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia.
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What Riyadh Air Announced on June 29, 2026
Riyadh Air added Kuala Lumpur and Malaga to its homepage on June 29, allowing customers to book seats for the first time. Dhaka bookings opened separately, with Time Out Riyadh confirming the route through the airline’s official channels. All three routes fly from RUH.
The airline had already confirmed Madrid and Manchester as upcoming destinations before this announcement. With Malaga and Kuala Lumpur added, Riyadh Air’s initial network now totals eight destinations, set to be complete by early August 2026.
When Flights to Malaga, Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka Will Begin
Each of the three new routes carries a different schedule and duration. The timetable runs as follows:
- Malaga (AGP): Seasonal service starts July 14, 2026, and runs three times weekly until September 8, when the European summer season ends.
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL): Year-round service starts July 30, 2026, operating three times a week.
- Dhaka (DAC): Service starts August 7, 2026. Riyadh Air has not officially confirmed frequency, though its website suggests a daily schedule.
Malaga marks Riyadh Air’s second Spanish route after Madrid, which begins July 17, 2026. Kuala Lumpur becomes the airline’s first Southeast Asian destination, a milestone Travel And Tour World described as a strategic move to strengthen Gulf-ASEAN connectivity.
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Why Riyadh Air Is Prioritizing Madrid and Manchester Too
Madrid holds particular importance for Riyadh Air beyond simple point-to-point travel. The airline sponsors Atletico Madrid and holds naming rights to the club’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium. The Riyadh-Madrid route, launching July 17, is the only direct connection between the two capitals.
Manchester, the airline’s second UK destination after London Heathrow, launches July 23, 2026. Together, these two European routes and the Malaga and Kuala Lumpur additions round out a network designed to serve business, tourism and trade markets simultaneously, Douglas said.
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How Riyadh Air’s Fleet and Network Are Growing
Riyadh Air’s expansion has moved in step with its aircraft deliveries. The airline has received five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners so far, with a sixth expected shortly. Its eventual fleet plan is far larger:
- 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, ordered from Boeing.
- 60 Airbus A321neo narrow-body aircraft, confirmed in October 2024.
- 25 Airbus A350-1000 widebody aircraft, ordered at the 2025 Paris Air Show.
This build-out matches Riyadh Air’s own goal, announced when the airline was formally established in March 2023, of eventually flying to over 100 destinations across six continents. The carrier initially launched full commercial flights three weeks ahead of schedule, moving its London Heathrow debut from July 1 to June 10, 2026, as Boeing deliveries accelerated.
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Comparing This Expansion with Riyadh Air’s Earlier Network Plans
Riyadh Air’s route map has shifted since analysts first tracked its booking systems. An earlier AeroTime report from March 2026 found flight-planning data pointing to a 15-route initial network, including cities such as Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila. At that stage, the airline had only officially confirmed Cairo, Dubai and London.
The routes that have since become official, Malaga, Madrid, Manchester, Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka, overlap only partly with that early list. Notably, most of Riyadh Air’s confirmed destinations are already served by Saudia, the Kingdom’s existing flag carrier, from the same Riyadh airport. Simple Flying has pointed out that with the majority of Riyadh Air’s initial routes already flown by rival airlines, the start-up faces a genuine fight for market share as it scales toward its 2030 target.
What Tony Douglas Said About Riyadh Air’s Global Ambitions
Riyadh Air’s CEO framed the latest additions as part of a broader strategy rather than isolated route launches:
“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,”
He added that the growing network lets the airline offer smoother onward connections for travelers moving between the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Douglas previously led Etihad Airways as CEO from 2018 to 2022 before joining Riyadh Air.
What Comes Next for Riyadh Air’s Global Network
Riyadh Air’s near-term priority is completing its initial eight-destination network by early August 2026, covering London, Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid, Manchester, Malaga and Kuala Lumpur. Dhaka will follow shortly after. The airline has also separately secured approval from the US Department of Transportation for future American flights.
Passenger demand on the new Southeast Asian and South Asian routes will offer an early test of how well the airline’s premium-focused strategy travels beyond its established Gulf and European markets. With deliveries of new Dreamliners continuing and Airbus A321neo and A350-1000 aircraft still to arrive, Riyadh Air’s booking calendar is likely to keep expanding through the rest of 2026.