Saudi Arabia's new second flag carrier is growing fast. Riyadh Air will launch flights between Riyadh (RUH) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) on December 16, flying four times a week on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Milan becomes the airline's fourth European city after London, Manchester and Madrid — and notably its first in Italy, pipping Rome to the honour. It's also the carrier's eighth destination overall since its first commercial flight in October 2025.

The schedule is built for convenience. Flight RX519 leaves Riyadh at 2:45 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, landing in Milan at 7:05 AM — ideal for a first day in the city. The return leg, RX520, departs at a civilised 9:55 AM and touches back down in Riyadh at 5:15 PM, timed to link with the airline's connections to Jeddah, Dubai and Cairo in the Middle East, plus Mumbai and Bangkok in Asia.

Interestingly, Italy wasn't even on the list of 15 candidate destinations Riyadh Air published earlier this year, so the Milan announcement reflects how quickly plans are shifting as new 787-9s arrive. The aircraft seats 290 passengers across economy, premium economy and business, with cabins styled around Saudi heritage — think Bedouin tent-inspired interiors.

Despite having no alliance membership, the young carrier has been signing partnership deals at speed: Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Delta, Turkish Airlines, Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, ANA, Air India and more, spanning all three major alliances. That matters for travellers, since it should make onward connections and redemptions easier as the network grows.

The bigger picture: CEO Tony Douglas has said the airline aims to add up to 22 destinations by March and serve more than 100 routes by 2030, when it is set to absorb all Saudia services from Riyadh under the Vision 2030 plan to make the capital a global aviation hub. Expect more European gateways and a strong push into the Indian subcontinent and Asia. Current European frequencies sit at daily to London, three-weekly to Manchester and four-weekly to Madrid.

For travellers, Milan is a smart pick for a first Italian route — Malpensa is a major hub with easy train links into the city, and a dawn arrival means you can drop your bags and head straight for the Duomo or a cappuccino before the crowds. If you've been curious about Riyadh Air's much-discussed cabin product, this is one of the few routes where you can try it, and the overnight timing works well whether Milan is the destination or the start of a wider European trip.