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Riyadh Air Selects Malaysia as First Southeast Asian Destination
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Economy & Trade

Riyadh Air Selects Malaysia as First Southeast Asian Destination

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Riyadh Air launched its first Southeast Asian route with a direct flight from Riyadh to Kuala Lumpur.
  • The airline chose Malaysia due to strong travel demand and its popularity as a tourist destination for Saudis.
  • Riyadh Air aims to expand its network to 100 destinations by 2030 and is exploring partnerships with local airlines.

Riyadh Air has selected Malaysia as its inaugural gateway to Southeast Asia, launching a direct Riyadh-Kuala Lumpur route. This move significantly enhances air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and the region. Vincent Coste, Riyadh Air's Chief Commercial Officer, stated that Kuala Lumpur was chosen for its substantial potential and robust travel demand in both directions. Malaysia is a favored tourist spot for Saudis, while Saudi Arabia attracts many Malaysians for religious pilgrimage, business, and tourism.

"Kuala Lumpur is our first destination in Southeast Asia because this route has strong traffic from both directions. We see huge potential for continued growth in this market," Coste said at the welcoming ceremony for Riyadh Air's inaugural flight. The Boeing 787-9 aircraft departed Riyadh at 10:50 p.m. and arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 12:10 p.m. the next day.

Kuala Lumpur is our first destination in Southeast Asia because this route has strong traffic from both directions. We see huge potential for continued growth in this market.

— Vincent CosteExplaining the choice of Kuala Lumpur as Riyadh Air's first Southeast Asian destination.

Initially, the Kuala Lumpur-Riyadh route will primarily serve direct travelers. However, Coste anticipates rapid growth in connecting traffic to Jeddah, particularly for Umrah pilgrims. He also expects more passengers to use Riyadh as a transit hub for other destinations as the airline expands its network. "From next year onwards, we expect more passengers to use Riyadh as a transit hub to Europe, Africa, and other destinations as our network continues to grow," he added.

Riyadh Air, which began commercial operations in June, currently flies to destinations including Jeddah, Dubai, and Cairo. The airline's ambitious goal is to reach 100 destinations worldwide by 2030, solidifying Riyadh's position as a major aviation hub in the Middle East. The airline is also considering collaborations with Malaysian carriers to broaden its passenger network in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia Airlines identified as a potential partner.

From next year onwards, we expect more passengers to use Riyadh as a transit hub to Europe, Africa, and other destinations as our network continues to grow.

— Vincent CosteDiscussing future expansion plans for Riyadh as a transit hub.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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