Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air has launched cargo operations under the brand ‘Riyadh Cargo’ and the activation of belly-hold cargo operations across its widebody fleet.

The airline says the launch of the brand reflects a deliberate, phased approach to building a scalable and integrated cargo business, anchored at its Riyadh hub, and designed to grow in line with network expansion and operational maturity.

Riyadh Cargo has already utilised operations on the airline’s recently launched Riyadh to London Heathrow route, transporting substantial cargo volumes across a wide spectrum of commodities including garments, textiles, fresh flowers, seafood, tea and coffee.

Pravin Singh, global head of cargo at Riyadh Air, said: “Riyadh Cargo has been built with a clear focus on operational discipline, reliability, and long-term scalability. Launching within a live environment allows us to test, learn, and continuously refine how we operate, while delivering real value to our customers from the get-go.

“The launch of the brand is a foundational step in building a cargo business that grows alongside our network expansion and supports Saudi Arabia’s broader logistics ambitions.”

With digital capability being central to Riyadh Air’s core values, Riyadh Cargo has ensured the integration of dedicated cargo management systems, centralised airwaybill control, and enhanced data visibility to improve transparency, accelerate decision‑making, and maintain consistently high service levels.

Riyadh Cargo has also partnered with CHAMPS’s Cargo spot-neo, a next-gen cargo end-to-end platform which enables greater operational control, enhanced data visibility, and more responsive decision-making, supporting service reliability as volumes and network complexity expand.

Additionally, Riyadh Air is working closely with Unilode to manage and digitally track lightweight, durable unit load devices (ULDs). These assets improve visibility, enable real-time monitoring, and stock optimisation, and support more efficient and sustainable cargo movements, particularly during irregular operations.

On the ground, cargo handling and hub management are delivered in partnership with SATS Saudi Arabia Company. S

Services are provided at key airports across the Kingdom, including King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam, and King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah. These locations are supported by modern facilities, specialised handling zones and centralised hub management, enabling real-time oversight and smooth cargo connections.

As Riyadh Air advances its ambitious growth plans with its existing fleet size of more than 180 aircraft and a network expected to reach over 100 destinations

By 2030 , Riyadh Air expects its network to reach over 100 destinations, contributing approximately USD 20 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and supporting more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs globally. Riyadh Cargo is positioned as a key enabler of this growth, reinforcing the Kingdom’s ambition to become a leading global aviation and logistics hub.

READ MORE NEWS: Riyadh Air and Lufthansa Technik sign 10-year 787 support deal