Is Riyadh Air Heading for Heathrow on October 26? What We Know So Far

Securing rights to one of the world’s busiest international airports isn’t easy, but Riyadh Air seems to have found a low-cost workaround.

Riyadh Air could touch down at London Heathrow airport as soon as October. Management at the Saudi start-up carrier has long promised the start of revenue flights before the end of the year, and now we have a major clue about its initial network.

A filing published Wednesday by the airport’s slot coordinator suggests that Riyadh Air could be coming to Europe’s busiest airport. If realized, this would give the airline less than three months to start selling tickets and filling the aircraft.

Here are answers to the key questions about Riyadh Air's flights to Heathrow:

The document from the coordinator ACL states that Riyadh Air will receive the slot as of October 26, 2025. This ties in neatly with the switch to the airline industry’s winter schedule. However, what we don’t know is if this will be the first Riyadh Air commercial service, or if flights to another destination may come first.

The ACL filing shows the Saudi airline operating a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 288 seats. While the precise configuration could change, this wou