RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, has announced to start test flights from Riyadh to Jeddah as part of its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) process required by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
The airline will be using a B787-9 aircraft from Saudia Airlines to fly to several local and global destinations. This is part of the procedures of proving flights prior to the start of commercial flights in 2025.
In a statement Riyadh Air stated on Wednesday: “Tomorrow is a historic day for Riyadh Air as we start noncommercial flights from Riyadh”. The statement said that in the upcoming months, Riyadh Air will be operating a number of rotations to global and local destinations as part of the flying program, with the first flight RX5001 departing King Khalid International Airport for Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport on Thursday, 12 September.
“A huge thanks to main stakeholders, who have supported us prepare for this historical moment: our regulator General Authority of Civil Aviation for their current oversight, our friends at Saudia Airlines from whom we have leased the 787-9 aircraft, our partners Riyadh Airports Company for their comprehensive support, Saudi Technic for ensuring the planes are in optimal condition for our crew, and Alsalam Aerospace Industries Company for providing hangar facilities and support in Riyadh,” the airline stated while noting that this marks another significant milestone in its journey to its maiden flight in 2025.
