Air France has announced its newest long haul destination, with service kicking off in a matter of weeks. This one isn’t too surprising, as we’ve seen a lot of service added here…
In this post:
Air France adds Paris to Riyadh route with A350
As of May 19, 2025, Air France will launch a new 5x weekly flight between Paris (CDG) and Riyadh (RUH). The service will operate with the following schedule:
AF684 Paris to Riyadh departing 11:20PM arriving 6:25AM (+1 day)
AF685 Riyadh to Paris departing 8:40AM arriving 2:20PM
The 2,893-mile flight is blocked at 6hr5min eastbound and 6hr40min westbound. Air France will use an Airbus A350-900 for the route, featuring 324 seats. That includes 34 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 266 economy seats.
This route actually represents a service resumption, as Air France last flew to Riyadh in 2019. This will be Air France’s only route to Saudi Arabia, and it also means that all Air France-KLM airlines will once again offer service to the country, as there’s similarly service on KLM and Transavia. Air France also emphasizes that this route will strengthen its existing partnership with Saudia.
What’s Air France’s motivation for returning to Riyadh?
Lately we’ve seen all kinds of new service to Riyadh, which clearly comes as Saudi Arabia is trying to build up Riyadh as a destination. In particular, we’ve seen a lot of SkyTeam interest in Riyadh. Virgin Atlantic is also adding Riyadh flights, and Delta has announced it will fly to Riyadh, as part of a partnership with startup Riyadh Air.
More immediately, I have to imagine that there are some sort of incentives in place to attract airlines to add Riyadh flights, since it’s unusual to otherwise see so much growth at once. Yes, Riyadh is actually a fairly large and affluent market, but still, the amount of growth we’re seeing so quickly is indicative of some sort of incentives.
It’s also interesting to consider how Air France’s Middle East strategy is evolving. In late 2023, Air France-KLM announced an expanded partnership with Etihad, with the goal being reciprocal feed at hubs in Europe and in Abu Dhabi. This included Air France launch a new Paris (CDG) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) route.
However, that didn’t last, and the route was cut after a year. While the airlines continue to have a partnership, it’s scaled back compared to what it was. It sure seems to me like Air France may be looking at closer cooperation with Riyadh Air, in lieu of closer cooperation with Etihad. But either way, that’s not going to be immediate, given that Riyadh Air hasn’t even started operations.
Bottom line
As of May 2025, Air France will launch a new flight between Paris and Riyadh. This is technically a resumption, since the route was last operated in 2019, and it also marks Air France’s return to Saudi Arabia.
Airlines are flocking to Riyadh right now. While it’s not officially stated, I have to imagine that a Riyadh Air partnership will be announced soon as well, since that’s what we’ve seen at Delta and Virgin Atlantic.
What do you make of Air France launching Riyadh flights?
People talking about incentives don’t understand just how large the Saudi market is, QR alone serves 11 destinations in the kingdom
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Riyadh Air’s CEO always talks about how underserved Riyadh is and how other airlines are taking advantage of Saudia’s inability to fill the gap.
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ImmortalSynn Guest
March 13, 2025, 4:44 pm
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Sisyphus Guest
March 13, 2025, 8:40 pm
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1 more replyDoesn't matter, as the Western carrier would still need some amount of home-side demand to realistically make the route work, even if its main objective is introducing Saudi-originating traffic into its connecting network.
Outside of the energy industry, Saudi Arabia isn't exactly the easiest sell to Western audiences at the moment. That can change, but an incentive that brings in capacity/promotion/etc can help (but not guarantee) that change happening on a faster scale.
Doesn't matter, as the Western carrier would still need some amount of home-side demand to realistically make the route work, even if its main objective is introducing Saudi-originating traffic into its connecting network.
Outside of the energy industry, Saudi Arabia isn't exactly the easiest sell to Western audiences at the moment. That can change, but an incentive that brings in capacity/promotion/etc can help (but not guarantee) that change happening on a faster scale.
As someone who travels frequently in the region and has seen traffic to and from Saudi, I can tell you’ve never been there.
typo in title: March 2025 -> May 2025.
It looks like AF will operate this route with A220-300 aircraft. As a Riyadh resident, not excited at all with this news, prob better take a KLM A330 or ITA A320neo lie-flat flight as usual.
It will be operated by the A350-900
Why is Riyadh Air cooperation suggested when there's an established SkyTeam airline based in Riyadh (Saudia)? Surely a cooperation with Saudia is more likely and reasonable than cooperation with a carrier that's not in AF's (or any) alliance and doesn't even have any flights yet?
Purely in my guess, once Riyadh Air is launched, Saudia will be primarily based & operated in Jeddah while Riyadh Air's operation is based in Riyadh. Riyadh air also have a partnership with Delta, so it totally make sense AF will cooperate with Riyadh Air in the future.
@Ben Lufthansa also flew their A340-600 from Frankfurt to Riyadh to Dammam for a few months this past winter. Riyadh also offering strong incentives to LH, or just strong business between FRA and RUH for first class?!
Like everyone else, I suspect there are Saudi incentives for AF/DL/VS to all fly to Riyadh for at least a year or two. As to Saudia and Riyadh Air, I am beginning to think ultimately they may just merge into one carrier group (definitely staying in SkyTeam) but perhaps keeping the two separate brands (like Alaska and Hawaiian) based on serving Riyadh vs. Jeddah and possibly premium demand v. leisure/lower-cost.
If AF/KLM buys Air Europa...
Like everyone else, I suspect there are Saudi incentives for AF/DL/VS to all fly to Riyadh for at least a year or two. As to Saudia and Riyadh Air, I am beginning to think ultimately they may just merge into one carrier group (definitely staying in SkyTeam) but perhaps keeping the two separate brands (like Alaska and Hawaiian) based on serving Riyadh vs. Jeddah and possibly premium demand v. leisure/lower-cost.
If AF/KLM buys Air Europa then I suspect AE will also fly to Riyadh from Madrid. Riyadh Air is the naming rights partner/jersey sponsor for Atletico Madrid, one of the 10 biggest soccer teams on the planet by pretty much any standard.
They are definitely going the Qatar route with the football/soccer advertising. There are pitch side advertisements for every concacaf champions league match, which signals to brand awareness in Mexico. This also signals to Aeromexico on the sky team vein.
Will they serve wine?
Yes, until you reach the Saudi border
RUH is a bona fide Saudia hub, plenty of connections can be offered irrespective of any deals with the new airline.
Yeah it's almost certainly incentives.
How much is saudi paying for all of these airlines to start adding flights there?
These Airlines need to fly Riyadh daily to get
incentives.