> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Riyadh Air Will Fly to Jakarta in November. How Is Saudi Arabia's New Airline Doing So Far? - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/riyadh-air-jakarta-flights-november-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-05T07:22:26.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T11:22:50.000Z - Description: Saudi Arabia's newest airline is adding Indonesia to a network that barely existed four months ago. Its fast start comes after years of delays. - Author: Zachary Benitez - Tags: News, Riyadh Air Riyadh Air Jakarta flights start on November 16, 2026, when Saudi Arabia's new national airline links its Riyadh hub with the Indonesian capital for the first time. Earlier this year, no airline flew nonstop between the two cities, so the route fills a real gap rather than piling onto a crowded one. The announcement also marks a good moment to check in on Riyadh Air itself. The airline only started selling regular flights to the public in June, and it has been adding destinations at a pace few new airlines manage. --- ## The Jakarta Flights Riyadh Air will fly the route three times a week on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the long-range widebody jet that makes up its entire passenger fleet. Flights leave Riyadh at 9:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and land in Jakarta at 10:30 a.m. the next morning. The return leaves Jakarta at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and reaches Riyadh at 6:40 p.m. the same day. Jakarta will be Riyadh Air's fourth city in Southeast Asia, joining Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Manila. Indonesia sends more pilgrims to Saudi Arabia each year than any other country, though most of that traffic flows through Jeddah and Medina rather than Riyadh. The new route gives Indonesian travelers another option, and its timing lets passengers from Jakarta connect in Riyadh to flights onward to Europe. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_5620.JPG) --- ## A Slow Start Riyadh Air was announced in 2023 with backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the country's sovereign wealth fund. It's a key part of Vision 2030, the government's plan to diversify the economy and turn Riyadh into a global travel hub. Its chief executive is Tony Douglas, who previously ran Etihad Airways. The launch didn't go to plan. Delays in Boeing's 787 deliveries pushed its planned launch from 2025 into 2026\. Riyadh Air ran limited trial flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow from October 2025, but its first factory-new 787s only arrived on June 5, 2026\. Full commercial service began five days later, on June 10, with London. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_5676.jpg) --- ## Where It Flies Now Once the planes arrived, the network grew quickly. Jeddah, Dubai and Cairo followed in June, and July added Madrid, Kuala Lumpur and a summer-only route to Malaga. August brought four cities in South Asia: Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore. Bangkok, Manila and Manchester then launched in September. That's roughly 14 destinations in under four months, all flown with a fleet of around eight 787s. The airline has also ordered 60 Airbus A321neos for shorter routes and 31 Airbus A350-1000s for longer ones, which will let it fly to many more places once they arrive. Timeline ### Riyadh Air's Fast First Months Hub Riyadh Fleet About 8 Boeing 787-9s Destinations About 14, plus Jakarta Goal 22 destinations by March 2027 Oct 2025 Limited trial flights begin between Riyadh and London Heathrow. Jun 5, 2026 The first factory-new 787-9s arrive after long Boeing delays. Jun 10, 2026 Full commercial service launches with London Heathrow. Jun 2026 Jeddah, Dubai and Cairo join the network. Jul 2026 Madrid, Kuala Lumpur and a summer-only route to Malaga. Aug 2026 Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore. Sep 2026 Bangkok, Manila and Manchester. Nov 16, 2026 Jakarta launches, three times a week. Riyadh Air aims to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030. Contrail --- ## How It's Doing On the surface, the numbers look strong. Douglas has said Riyadh Air will serve 22 destinations by March 2027 and more than 100 by 2030, and the airline is on pace for the first goal. It has also signed partnerships, including a cooperation agreement with Japan's ANA, that should help it sell connections beyond its own network. The harder question is whether travelers will choose it. Most of Riyadh Air's routes were already served from Riyadh by Saudia, the country's established national airline, and Gulf giants like Emirates and Qatar Airways run huge connecting hubs just a short flight away. Its smaller Airbus jets have also slipped to late 2026, which limits how quickly it can add shorter routes. Jakarta is a smart move in that light. It's one of the few cities Riyadh Air can claim as its own from Riyadh, and that's the kind of route a new airline needs if it wants to give people a reason to book it over the competition.