Saudi Arabia's new national carrier, Riyadh Air, has secured approval from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate flights to and from the United States, marking a major milestone in the airline's international expansion plans.
The approval grants Riyadh Air the economic authority required for foreign airlines to operate commercial passenger and cargo services to the US. In its order, the DOT said the grant of authority was "consistent with the public interest." According to Reuters, the approval was issued on Tuesday.
The move follows an application submitted by Riyadh Air in early May seeking a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority to operate scheduled and charter services between Saudi Arabia and the United States. The carrier had requested expedited processing of the application under streamlined licensing procedures.
Owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Riyadh Air was launched in 2023 as a key pillar of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and develop tourism, aviation and logistics sectors.
The airline has said it aims to serve more than 100 international destinations by 2030 and is building partnerships with major global carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Delta has already announced plans to launch nonstop flights between Atlanta and Riyadh from October.
Riyadh Air recently launched its first commercial service to London and expects its fleet to grow to eight aircraft by the end of July. The carrier plans to operate services to 22 destinations by March 2027.
The airline has placed orders for up to 72 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft and 50 Airbus A350s as it seeks to establish Riyadh as a major global aviation hub.
Send us your company’s news today and they could be featured on ABC’s Community News tommorow.
