Riyadh Air commences Riyadh-Madrid service, signs MoU with Air Europa
Riyadh Air commenced (17-Jul-2026) four times weekly Riyadh-Madrid service with Boeing 787-9 equipment on 17-Jul-2026. Madrid is the airline's second destination in Spain, following Malaga. Riyadh Air also signed an MoU with Air Europa Líneas Aéreas to establish a strategic partnership, subject to regulatory approval, for "interline connectivity, potential codeshare cooperation, loyalty programme reciprocity, cargo cooperation, and digital innovation initiatives". The airline noted the strategic partnership: "will leverage Air Europa's robust network across Spain, Southern Europe, and Latin America, using Madrid-Barajas as its key transit point". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Riyadh Air launched scheduled operations with daily Riyadh-London Heathrow on 10-Jun-2026, after taking delivery of its first Boeing 787-9s, and it planned initial routes including Manchester and Madrid; CEO Tony Douglas said it expected eight aircraft by end-Jul-2026 and 22 destinations by Mar-20271 2. It also commenced Riyadh-Malaga on 14-Jul-2026, while Saudia resumed the route on 01-Jul-20263 4. Riyadh Air previously signed a strategic cooperation MoU with Air France-KLM, covering connectivity, loyalty, cargo and digital initiatives5.