Saudi Arabia’s start-up carrier Riyadh Air has received the coveted green light from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to enter the mainland market. According to the approval notice published on 13 July and confirmed by the airline on 14 July, Riyadh Air may operate three weekly Boeing 787-9 services to Beijing Daxing (PKX) and four weekly flights to Shanghai Pudong (PVG). The decision marks the first time a new foreign airline has obtained rights on the lucrative Riyadh-China corridor since the pandemic. It also dovetails with China’s stated goal of adding more direct intercontinental routes as part of its consumption-boost plan. Riyadh Air—backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—only began commercial operations last month but aims to reach 100 destinations by 2030, positioning Riyadh as a challenger to Gulf mega-hubs. For corporates the route pairs offer time savings of four to six hours versus current one-stop options via Dubai or Doha. Chinese firms with energy, construction and infrastructure projects in the Kingdom can plan faster site rotations, while Saudi exporters gain belly-hold cargo lift into China’s Yangtze and Bohai economic zones. Travel management companies forecast competitive introductory fares as the newcomer attempts to lure traffic away from Saudia and Chinese incumbents. CAAC data show that Saudia currently controls 60 percent of Saudi-China seat capacity, with China Southern, Air China, Hainan Airlines and China Eastern sharing the rest. The added Riyadh Air frequencies will expand total weekly seats between the two countries by roughly 9 percent once flights launch—expected in Q4 2026 pending slot coordination. Observers will watch whether Riyadh Air pursues beyond-rights partnerships with domestic carriers at PKX and PVG, which could open through-ticketing to second-tier Chinese cities. Such feed would help the airline hit its ambitious load-factor targets and give travellers from Western China a new one-stop link to the Gulf.
Source: Aviation A2Z
