Delta to become only US airline to Saudi Arabia with new Riyadh route

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Delta Air Lines will open its only Persian Gulf route in October 2026.

That’s when the Atlanta-based SkyTeam Alliance carrier will launch new service from its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) hub to King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Yes, Saudi Arabia.

The new RUH route will be flown with one of Delta’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft outfitted with Delta One business class suites, as well as premium economy, extra-legroom economy and economy seats.

A Delta spokesperson said additional details about the new route, including when tickets go on sale, will be released at a later date.

The new ATL-RUH route will also, based on current schedules, be the fourth longest on Delta’s map at 7,283 miles, according to Great Circle Mapper.

The Middle Eastern route is Delta's latest intercontinental addition in 2026. The list includes Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Malta International Airport (MLA), Porto Airport (OPO) and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (SLB) on the Italian island of Sardinia. The carrier is also adding a number of new routes to existing destinations.

The RUH flights are also the latest sign of Delta’s move closer to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Long a partner of the country’s flag carrier, Saudia, Delta also unveiled a new strategic partnership with the country’s startup flagship airline, Riyadh Air, in 2024.

Riyadh Air, led by former Etihad Airways CEO Tony Douglas, aims to fulfill a dual mandate of both boosting visitor numbers to the kingdom and claiming a piece of the lucrative connecting traffic flows between Europe and Asia. The airline made something of a soft launch on Oct. 26 with its first flight from RUH to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR); the flights are necessary to maintain its use-it-or-lose-it LHR slots and are only available for the time being to staff.

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The Delta spokesperson said they plan to codeshare with Riyadh Air on the new ATL-RUH route.

American Airlines and United Airlines both serve the hubs of their Gulf partners — Qatar Airways and Emirates, respectively — in the region. The former flies to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and the latter to Dubai International Airport (DXB) from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Delta’s new RUH flight will be the first by a U.S. airline to Saudi Arabia since now-defunct Trans World Airlines ended flights there in 2001. The carrier merged with American later that year.

The Delta spokesperson said there was “nothing finalized” on any potential financial subsidies from the Saudi government to the airline for the new route.

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