Riyadh Air Adds Milan: Where Saudi Arabia’s New Airline Flies
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
Updated September 30, 2026 
Riyadh Air is adding Milan to its fast growing network.
The Saudi carrier will fly four times weekly between Riyadh and Milan Malpensa from December 2026, using the Boeing 787-9.
It is the latest step in one of the most closely watched airline launches in the world. Here is our guide to where Riyadh Air flies today, what is coming next and what it means for the wider Gulf market.
Riyadh Air’s New Milan Route
The airline announced ticket sales for Milan on 22 September, according to the Riyadh Air media hub.
Aviation A2Z reports that flight RX519 will depart Riyadh at 02:45 and arrive in Milan at 07:05.
The return, RX520, leaves Milan at 09:55 and lands in Riyadh at 17:15.
The flights operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Departures use Terminal 2 at King Khalid International Airport and Terminal 1 at Malpensa.
The overnight departure from Riyadh gives passengers a full day in Milan on arrival.
The daytime return suits connections onward to Asia later that evening.
Where Riyadh Air Flies Today
The Saudi carrier has grown quickly since starting commercial operations, with London Heathrow among its first international routes.
The Wego travel blog noted in August that the network included London Heathrow, Dubai, Jeddah, Cairo, Madrid, seasonal Malaga, Manchester, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai and Dhaka, with Islamabad and Lahore following in mid August.
September was another busy month.
Aviation Week reports that Riyadh Air launched Bangkok three times weekly from 2 September, Manila daily from 9 September and Manchester three times weekly from 19 September.
Those additions took the network from 11 to 14 destinations.
Aviation Week, citing OAG data, says scheduled capacity rose 18.6% month on month to 265,692 seats in September.
Why Manila and South Asia Matter
The route choices tell us a great deal about the airline’s strategy.
Manila, Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore all serve large expatriate communities working in Saudi Arabia.
Aviation Week notes that Manila targets the substantial Filipino population in the Kingdom, as well as business, leisure and connecting traffic.
These markets offer reliable year round demand.
Europe plays a different role.
London, Manchester, Madrid and now Milan bring premium business travellers and tourists into Saudi Arabia, supporting the country’s wider Vision 2030 tourism ambitions.
How Big Will Riyadh Air Become?
The ambitions are enormous.
Aviation Week reports that the airline plans to serve 22 cities by March 2027.
Longer term, Wikipedia’s Riyadh Air entry notes the target of 100 destinations by 2030.
The airline received its first two factory new aircraft in June 2026, with orders spanning the Boeing 787, Airbus A321neo and Airbus A350 still to be delivered.
That growth will depend on deliveries.
Boeing and Airbus both face production challenges, and new airlines are often the most exposed when delivery slots slip.
Partnerships Are Central to the Plan
Riyadh Air is not trying to grow alone.
The airline has announced a partnership with national carrier Saudia, which its media hub describes as the first of its kind.
Aviation Week has also reported that ANA and the Saudi carrier have agreed to cooperate on network development.
Partnerships like these allow a new airline to offer many more destinations than it can serve with its own aircraft.
Riyadh Air has also invested heavily in brand building.
It holds the naming rights to Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, giving it strong visibility in one of its key European markets.
Competing With the Gulf Giants
The biggest question is competition. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad already dominate connecting traffic between Europe, Asia and Africa through their Gulf hubs.
The airline’s advantage is its home market.
Saudi Arabia has a far larger population than the UAE or Qatar, and much of its early traffic is likely to be point to point rather than transfer.
Over time, the airline will also try to build a connecting hub.
Milan to Manila or Manchester to Kuala Lumpur via Riyadh are exactly the kind of journeys it will need to win from established rivals.
We recently covered Emirates’ next generation fleet in our piece on the first Emirates 777X rolling out of the factory, a reminder of the scale the Saudi carrier is up against.
Regional Risks
The operating environment is challenging.
Malay Mail reported that Saudi authorities issued an air raid alert in Riyadh on 19 September after explosions were heard in the capital.
Security concerns can affect demand, insurance costs and airspace routings.
Any airline based in the region has to build that uncertainty into its plans, and a young carrier has less financial cushion than its established rivals.
The Bottom Line
Riyadh Air is growing at a pace few new airlines have attempted.
Milan adds another premium European city, while its Asian routes tap into deep expatriate demand.
The next six months will be critical.
Reaching 22 destinations by March 2027 would confirm that the plan is on track and set up an even bigger push towards 2030.
You can follow the airline’s fleet as it grows using our Airline Search and Aircraft Search tools.
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