Photo: RIYADH AIR The new Saudi airline Riyadh Air announced yesterday (Wednesday, January 21, 2026) the launch of its cargo operations under the Riyadh Cargo brand.
The operation will be based on a combination of cargo on passenger flights, using the company's wide-body fleet of over 120 aircraft. The operation will gradually expand in line with the growth of the airline's global network, with an emphasis on reliability, transparency, and connectivity between key markets.
Significant activity has already been recorded on the Riyadh-London Heathrow route, where the company has transported large quantities of cargo in a variety of fields, from clothing and textiles to flowers, seafood, tea and coffee. According to the company, this demonstrates its ability to handle sensitive and expensive cargo.
Riyadh Cargo's operational system includes advanced digital management solutions, centralized management of waybills (AWB), and real-time tracking support. Cooperation with CHAMP's Cargo Spot-Neo platform allows the company to have broader operational control. On the ground, cargo activity management is carried out in collaboration with SATS Saudi Arabia, at the Kingdom's three main airports, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, with dedicated infrastructure and real-time central management solutions.
Recall that last year, Riyadh Air signed an agreement to purchase 25 Airbus A350-1000 wide-body jets, as part of its first participation in the Paris Air Show. This is a deal that positions the new company as a significant player on the international stage, with an ambitious goal: to transform Saudi Arabia into a global aviation hub with annual passenger traffic of 300 million by the end of the decade.
The strategic move aims to introduce the young company into the international air cargo market, as part of a broader effort to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub within the framework of Vision 2030.