Riyadh Air Enters Pakistan With Islamabad, Lahore Routes

RIYADH — Riyadh Air (RX) has entered Pakistan with daily nonstop service between King Khalid International Airport (RUH) and Islamabad International Airport (ISB). A second route from Riyadh to Lahore is scheduled to begin on August 18.

The Islamabad service began on August 14, while Lahore will receive three weekly flights to Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE). Riyadh Air announced the two Pakistan destinations on August 9, alongside a new route to Manila, Philippines.

The first Islamabad flight coincided with the 79th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. Riyadh Air marked the launch with ceremonies in Riyadh and Islamabad attended by diplomatic, government, airport, and airline representatives.

How the Pakistan Schedules Work

The daily Islamabad service uses two alternating flight pairs. On Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, RX659 leaves Riyadh at 1:45 p.m. and arrives in Islamabad at 8 p.m. RX660 departs Islamabad at 9:30 p.m. and reaches Riyadh at midnight the following day.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, RX661 leaves Riyadh at 8:10 p.m. and arrives in Islamabad at 2:25 a.m. the next day. RX662 departs Islamabad at 4:25 a.m. and lands in Riyadh at 6:50 a.m.

The Lahore schedule is simpler. RX675 will depart Riyadh at 1:40 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, arriving in Lahore at 7:50 p.m. RX676 will leave Lahore at 9:20 p.m. and reach Riyadh at midnight the next day. All times are local and remain subject to schedule changes.

Both routes use Riyadh Air's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The airline's 290-seat configuration has four cabins: four Business Elite seats, 24 Business seats, 39 Premium Economy seats, and 223 Economy seats.

An Established Saudi–Pakistan Market

Riyadh Air is adding capacity to existing nonstop markets rather than opening the first links between the cities. Flynas was already selling August itineraries from Riyadh to Islamabad and Riyadh to Lahore, giving the new airline immediate competition on both routes.

The underlying passenger market is substantial. Pakistan's Press Information Department said in June 2025 that more than 2.5 million Pakistanis lived in Saudi Arabia, supporting family, labor, business, and government travel between the countries.

The flights also connect the Saudi and Pakistani capitals and add a widebody option on both city pairs. They do not, however, operate nonstop to the principal pilgrimage gateways of Jeddah or Medina; passengers traveling through Riyadh for Hajj or Umrah need an onward itinerary.

Riyadh Air Builds Its South Asia Network

Riyadh Air's official launch chronology shows that the Pakistan routes follow its August 5 debut in Mumbai and August 9 launch in Dhaka. Taken together, those additions show the carrier building a South Asia schedule around its Riyadh hub within a matter of weeks.

The airline is also pursuing partnership-led reach in the region. Airways reported in June that Riyadh Air and Air India signed a memorandum covering potential future interline and codeshare cooperation. The Pakistan flights, by contrast, are Riyadh Air-operated services added directly to its own network.

Lahore is the next operational test. Its August 18 launch will bring Riyadh Air to 10 weekly Pakistan round trips, but the airline has not published route-level passenger forecasts, financial targets, or traffic results. Those figures, along with any later frequency changes, will determine how the two routes perform beyond their inaugural period.