Delta Becomes First U.S. Airline To Announce Flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Updated: October 27, 2025, 4:55am CDT

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Fly Nonstop From Atlanta to Riyadh With Delta
Delta Is First U.S. Airline To Offer Flights to Saudi Arabia
Final Thoughts

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Saudi Arabia is pushing hard to become the next biggest tourist destination, and Delta is the first U.S. airline to vie for a piece of the pie.

Next winter, the Atlanta-headquartered carrier will launch nonstop flights between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Riyadh (RUH) — the Saudi Arabian capital.

“Our new flights will connect customers to this dynamic, fast-growing region while delivering the care, comfort, and reliability they expect,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s CEO.

Here’s everything we know about Delta’s exciting new route.

Fly Nonstop From Atlanta to Riyadh With Delta

Delta doesn’t plan to start the route until October 2026. It’s too far out for schedules and exact start dates, but at 7,283 miles between ATL and RUH, it will be one of the longest in Delta’s network. The start date will likely fall around October 25, in line with the start of the northern winter schedule.

Outbound flights to Riyadh should take around 13 hours. Due to headwinds and jet streams, the flight back to Atlanta will likely be considerably longer — at around 15 hours.

Atlanta to Riyadh with Delta — Delta’s new route from Atlanta to Riyadh spans over 7,000 miles. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper

Passengers embarking on the mammoth journey will do so on board Delta’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Among its fleet’s most modern and comfortable, Delta’s Airbus A350s feature lie-flat seats in Delta One, Delta Premium Select (premium economy), and Delta Comfort and Delta Main Cabin options in economy.

Delta Is First U.S. Airline To Offer Flights to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a major rebrand to attract visitors who have never before considered a trip there.

Until now, the presence of international carriers has been limited. For example, only recently has Virgin Atlantic started flying there.

Even Saudia, the nation’s current flag carrier, has limited flights outside the Middle East and India. It’s also currently the only airline offering nonstop flights between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. The SkyTeam carrier offers 3x weekly services from New York (JFK) and Washington-Dulles (IAD).

Delta is wise to plan this far ahead to capitalize on its status as the only U.S. airline with Saudi Arabia in its network.

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Final Thoughts

This time next year, Delta will launch its first-ever route from Atlanta to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Given the Gulf nation’s tourism drive — and the launch of numerous premium hotels in the country — we’d expect it won’t be long before American or United follow suit with their own Riyadh route announcements.