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United Airlines is being encouraged to consider introducing flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior airline network planner and industry commentator. This move would mark a significant milestone as United would be the first North American passenger airline to operate flights to Saudi Arabia. Current operators, such as Saudia, already serve the US/Canada, with the upcoming Riyadh Air expected to enter this market as well. United, however, stands to gain from the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, which has supported many new routes to the country.
The proposed Riyadh route would originate from United's Washington Dulles hub. In 2024, booking data indicated that 69,000 passengers traveled round-trip between Dulles and Riyadh, a 16% increase from the previous year. The average fare was recorded at a substantial $2,100 one-way, reflecting the high volume of business and first-class travelers. Unlike Jeddah, Riyadh is a destination largely driven by business and government travel, visiting friends and relatives, and students, which results in higher yields.
"The market is high-yielding, has steady growth, and would provide strong onward transit feed [via Dulles] to positively boost the financial performance of any new nonstop service," stated the source.
