British Airways doubles flights on...

Frequency increased to Saudi capital from seven to 13 flights a week

UK flag-carrier British Airways (BA) has increased its flights between London and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from seven to 13 weekly flights.

The expanded service, which began on 30 March 2025, equates to an additional 80,000 seats.

The six new flights will operate every day of the week except Tuesdays, and BA says they are timed to offer more flexibility for onward connections.

This move comes after Virgin Atlantic launched its first service to Saudi, with daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow, and Air France launched a direct Paris-Riyadh service from 20 May.

"We are delighted to be increasing our services from Riyadh to London Heathrow, giving customers more options to travel between both regions, connecting families, friends and businesses,” said Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, British Airways.

“This addition to our schedule not only benefits our many business and leisure customers, but also strengthens our long-standing connection and cultural ties between both two kingdoms.”

Flights depart King Khalid International Airport (RUH) at 0035 and arrive at London Heathrow (LHR) at 0530 daily, and at 0825 arriving 1320 six days a week (not Tuesday).

The return flights depart LHR at 1405 and arrive RUH at 2245 daily, and at 2200 arriving 0635 the following day, six days a week (not Monday).

The route will be operated with Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft in a four-cabin configuration, with fares starting from SAR1956.

The timing of the new London-Riyadh service coincides with BA suspending flights from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi between 31 March and 25 October 2025, which was announced in December. The airline blamed delays in Rolls-Royce delivering their Trent 1000 engines fitted to BA’s 787 Dreamliner.

BA continues to serve Abu Dhabi direct from London Gatwick.

For more information, visit www.britishairways.com

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE MALDIVES NOW