Riyadh Air enters cargo business to intensify regional rivalry

New Saudi carrier Riyadh Air has launched its cargo operations, with the first consignment delivered to London’s Heathrow.

The move ignites competition with Gulf neighbours, particularly Dubai’s Emirates Airline, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

Riyadh Air says it will ultimately use more than 120 on-order wide-body aircraft to connect goods across more than 100 global cities.

The carrier, which is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, began daily flights to Heathrow, its inaugural route, in October. It had received permission to fly from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation in April, but the launch was delayed because of a delivery backlog at Boeing.

The airline transported cargo across a range of commodities, from garments to fresh flowers, seafood to coffee, on the Riyadh-London route, the statement said. 

On the ground, cargo handling and hub management services are offered in partnership with SATS Saudi Arabia at airports across the kingdom: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.  

Riyadh Air’s fleet comprises more than 180 aircraft, and its network is expected to reach more than 100 destinations by 2030. 

The airline is forecast to contribute $20 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and support more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs globally.  

Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 7.4 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November, compared with 5.5 percent globally, according to the latest monthly data from the International Air Transport Association. Capacity increased by 11 percent year-on-year during the month.

• Emirates to build cabin crew village in Dubai as growth takes off
• Boeing tops Airbus in 2025 orders with help from Gulf carriers
• Emirates freight division targets growth with fleet expansion