Singapore Airlines to launch nonstop flights to Riyadh in June

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch four weekly nonstop flights between Singapore and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Jun 2, the airline announced on Monday (Feb 2).

Subject to regulatory approval, flight SQ498 from Singapore will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6.20pm, SIA said in a statement.

Return flight SQ499 will depart Riyadh on the same days at 11pm local time.

The national carrier will operate the medium-haul variant of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which is configured with 303 seats, including 40 in business class and 263 in economy class.

Riyadh will be the SIA Group's second destination in Saudi Arabia, the other being a four-times-weekly service to Jeddah operated by its low-cost subsidiary Scoot.

Riyadh is Saudi Arabia's administrative and financial centre.

"Visitors can explore historic sites such as Diriyah and the Masmak Fortress, and enjoy attractions including world-class museums, luxury hotels and a wide range of shopping and dining options," said SIA.

SIA's chief commercial officer Mr Lee Lik Hsin said: "Our return to Riyadh comes amid its thriving business environment and ambitious development, which make it one of the Middle East’s most dynamic cities.

"Beyond a new destination, this service will potentially allow us to work with our partners to offer our customers additional travel options across the region."

Tickets for SIA's flights to and from Riyadh will be progressively made available for sale through the airline's various distribution channels.

In response to CNA's queries, an SIA spokesperson said that the airline had operated flights to Riyadh between 2008 and 2014.

The flights were originally operated via Dubai, before SIA began its Singapore-Riyadh-Jeddah service in 2012. 

At the time it suspended its flights to Riyadh, SIA said that the decision was due to the route's "sustained weak performance".