Riyadh Air has launched operations in Pakistan with a daily service between Riyadh and Islamabad, the Saudi carrier's latest international expansion, adding a new direct link between the two capitals, according to Gulf News.

The inaugural flight, RX-660, arrived at Islamabad International Airport from Riyadh on Friday evening carrying 69 passengers, the Pakistan Airports Authority said. The aircraft later departed Islamabad with 272 passengers on board.

A ceremony marking the launch was held at the airport, attended by Nawaf bin Saeed Al Malki, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Pakistan, and Vincent Coste, Riyadh Air's chief commercial officer, along with Pakistani aviation and government officials.

The new service will run once daily between the two capitals, giving passengers seven flights a week. Riyadh Air will operate the route on two schedules: flight RX0659 departing Riyadh at 1:45 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and RX0661 departing at 8:10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The airline will expand its Pakistan network further from August 18, when it begins flights between Riyadh and Lahore, operating three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will serve both routes.

Air travel between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan remains significant given the large Pakistani community living and working in the kingdom, alongside demand from families, business travellers and religious pilgrims. Well over two million Pakistanis live in Saudi Arabia, working across sectors including healthcare, technology, finance, and construction.

Riyadh Air said the new services were intended not only to strengthen direct travel between the two countries but also to connect Pakistani passengers through Riyadh to its broader international network.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador said the launch would further strengthen longstanding relations and air connectivity between the two countries, while the Pakistan Airports Authority described the start of operations as an important milestone for bilateral aviation ties, adding that the additional flights would help facilitate passenger movement and greater cooperation in the aviation sector.

Riyadh Air, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, is developing its network as part of plans to connect the Saudi capital with more than 100 destinations worldwide by the end of the decade.

The launch coincided with Pakistan's 79th Independence Day, adding a symbolic element to the airline's first arrival in the country.

Source: Gulf News