The startup airline will begin flying from MAN in July 2026
MAN get’s it’s first new long-haul route in a while, and it’s a big one. Manchester is one of the first long-haul destinations that Riyadh Air has announced.
Who are Riyadh Air?
They are the new Saudi airline run by former Etihad CEO Tony Douglas. Riyadh Air is expected to become the flag carrier for Saudi Arabia, eventually, and many years into the future, taking over from Saudia airline.
Riyadh Air will operate three-class planes: Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class. There is no First Class, at least not yet. For some reason, Riyadh Air refer to their planes as having four classes, with Business Class mentioned as Business Premium and Business Elite.
The latter is the very first row of the Business cabin, and it has a noticeably larger seat. I’m not sure if it deserves its own cabin designation, though – no other airline does this – however, there is an expectation that these seats are not only bigger but there is a slightly different class of service offered in these versus the rest of the cabin.
Riyadh Air has agreements with some SkyTeam members, including Virgin Atlantic, suggesting that this will be their alliance in the future. That is, if they are going to join any alliance at all. Emirates and Etihad have never been part of an alliance, while the neighbouring Qatar Airways is a part of oneeworld.
What’s the Riyadh Air business class cabin like?
Expect the Business seats to be a solid performer, but on paper, there’s not much separating them from other best-in-class seats. The headrest speakers are a novelty, although other airlines have launched this. The honeymoon suite double-bed is a nice touch, similar to what Qatar offer with some of their Q-suites. The walls of the business suite are expected to be particularly high, creating more privacy.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to really innovate on an aircraft that isn’t an A380. What we can’t see yet, and no doubt what the airline will succeed at, is the service. Middle Eastern airlines, rightfully, have a great reputation when it comes to their staff members.
Riyadh Air and Manchester
The airline’s first flight from MAN starts on the 23rd July 2026. It’s a morning flight (8:50am) getting you into Riyadh at 5:20pm. The return flight to Manchester takes off at 1:30am, landing in the UK at 6:40am. This is a daily service operating seven days a week.
The MAN flight is operated by a brand new 787-9. Flights will depart and land at Manchester’s newer Terminal 2.
Ticket prices
- The cheapest economy ticket on the launch flight is £824 on the outbound leg and £298 on the return
- Premium Economy starts at £1078 outbound, and £431 inbound.
- Finally, Business Class starts at £1432 , and £1178 on the MAN leg.
The Business Class looks like a good deal on the MAN to RUH leg when you compare it to Premium Economy.
Which lounge will Riyadh Air use at Manchester?
There is no indication yet on which lounge Riyadh Air will use at MAN. The answer to this will tell us more about the airline’s ambition.
If they opt for the Aspire or Escape lounge, that isn’t a good sign. I think it’s more likely that they will use the new Executive by Escape lounge as this is due to launch around a month before the first MAN flights take off. That lounge will be the highest-quality space Riyadh Air can sensibly use at Manchester.
The upcoming Emirates lounge at MAN will likely be better, but obviously be tied to that airline. Aether, the private terminal, offers by far the best lounge experience at the airport, but no airline has yet sent its passengers there. That would really only suit an airline with a very small cabin, given the size of Aether, and that would really only be Emirates First.
Other announced routes
Manchester was just one of five new routes announced. At the same time, Riyadh Air launched three short-haul routes to Jeddah, Dubai and Cairo. One further long-haul flight was announced to Madrid.
All of these new announcements add to the very first route announced: a daily flight from London (Heathrow) to Riyadh.
Is Riyadh worth a trip?
We’ve travelled all of the Middle East, to the obvious hotspots like Dubai and Doha, but also to Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. We’ve had some excellent holidays, and continue to plan trips to the region.
A couple of years ago, we ended up in Riyadh for three nights, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The city has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to sport and entertainment. The reality for a lot of travellers will be the same as when you fly into Dubai and Doha: it’s a place where you connect, but if you can turn that 3-hour layover into a 3-night stay you will likely have a great experience.
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