- Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal will launch five weekly nonstop flights between Riyadh and Mumbai from October 3, adding more than 7,400 seats per month between the two major cities.
- Mumbai will become flyadeal’s second destination in India after Hyderabad, where the airline began operations in July, as it accelerates its international expansion.
- The new service will provide Indian expatriates, business travellers and tourists with additional connectivity to Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh will offer onward connections to Jeddah, Madinah, Dammam and other Saudi destinations.
flyadeal expands India network with new Riyadh–Mumbai service
Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal is strengthening its presence in the Indian market with the launch of a new nonstop service between Riyadh and Mumbai, beginning October 3, 2026.
The airline, a low-cost subsidiary of Saudia, will operate five flights a week on the route, making Mumbai its second Indian destination after Hyderabad.
The expansion forms part of flyadeal’s broader international growth strategy and is aimed at increasing capacity between Saudi Arabia and one of India’s most important aviation and commercial markets.
With more than 7,400 additional seats expected to be offered each month, the new service will provide greater choice for passengers travelling between Mumbai and the Saudi capital.
Five weekly flights between Mumbai and Riyadh
The new Riyadh–Mumbai service will operate on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, with no flights scheduled on Tuesday and Friday.
According to flyadeal’s announced schedule, flights will depart Riyadh at 00:55 and arrive in Mumbai at 07:40. The return service will leave Mumbai at 08:40 and arrive in Riyadh at 10:15, with all timings local.
The schedule is designed to provide convenient connectivity between the two metropolitan markets while also allowing passengers to continue their journeys through flyadeal’s Saudi network.
For travellers originating in Mumbai, Riyadh can serve as a gateway to other major Saudi destinations, including Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam.
Mumbai becomes flyadeal’s second Indian destination
The Mumbai launch follows flyadeal’s entry into the Indian market with Hyderabad, where the airline commenced operations on July 3, 2026.
The rapid addition of Mumbai underlines the importance of India to flyadeal’s international expansion plans.
India represents a significant market for Saudi Arabia because of its large expatriate population in the Kingdom, strong business relationships and growing leisure and religious travel flows.
The new route is therefore expected to serve a broad passenger base, ranging from Indian residents travelling to Saudi Arabia for employment and business to tourists and travellers visiting the Kingdom for religious purposes.
Additional choice for Indian expatriates
The large Indian expatriate community in Saudi Arabia remains an important source of demand for air services between the two countries.
flyadeal’s expansion gives passengers another low-cost option on the India–Saudi Arabia corridor, while increasing the number of available seats between Mumbai and Riyadh.
Sanjiv Kapoor, acting Chief Executive Officer of flyadeal and Executive Vice President, Strategies at Saudia Group, said India remains an important component of the airline’s international growth strategy.
He described the addition of Mumbai as a significant milestone that would broaden the carrier’s presence in the Indian market while providing greater capacity and convenience for Indian expatriates, business travellers and tourists.
Riyadh as a connecting gateway
Beyond point-to-point traffic, the new service is expected to support connecting journeys across Saudi Arabia.
Passengers arriving in Riyadh will be able to connect to destinations including Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam, giving the Mumbai service a wider geographic reach than the direct city pair alone.
This connectivity could be particularly relevant for religious tourism, with Jeddah providing access to Makkah and Madinah serving as one of Islam’s most important pilgrimage destinations.
The route therefore has the potential to support multiple travel segments, including visiting friends and relatives, business travel, leisure tourism and religious journeys.
Strengthening Saudi–India aviation links
The new flyadeal route comes amid continued growth in air connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia.
Both countries have strong economic and people-to-people ties, creating substantial demand for aviation services. Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy and develop tourism are also creating new opportunities for international visitor markets.
For airlines, the India–Saudi Arabia corridor offers a combination of established expatriate traffic and emerging leisure demand.
flyadeal’s low-cost model gives it an opportunity to target price-sensitive passengers while also supporting the wider Saudia Group network.
Part of flyadeal’s international expansion
The Mumbai route represents another step in flyadeal’s efforts to expand beyond its domestic Saudi network.
The airline has been developing its international footprint as part of a wider strategy to increase connectivity between Saudi Arabia and key markets across the region.
India is particularly significant within that strategy because of its population size, economic importance and extensive links with Saudi Arabia.
The addition of Mumbai also complements flyadeal’s existing Indian presence in Hyderabad, allowing the carrier to serve two major Indian metropolitan markets from Riyadh.
Mumbai offers a strong market opportunity
Mumbai is India’s financial and commercial capital and one of the country’s largest international aviation markets.
The city has substantial demand for travel to the Gulf, driven by business activity, expatriate communities, tourism and family travel.
For Saudi Arabia, direct access to Mumbai provides another important connection to India’s western economic corridor.
The new service could also strengthen opportunities for Saudi businesses seeking greater links with Indian companies and investors, while providing Indian travellers with easier access to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing tourism sector.
Competition and capacity growth
The entry of flyadeal into Mumbai adds further capacity to an already highly competitive India–Gulf market.
Airlines across the Gulf region have traditionally maintained strong links with major Indian cities, reflecting the substantial passenger flows between the two regions.
flyadeal’s expansion nevertheless provides additional choice, particularly for travellers seeking lower-cost options.
The five-weekly schedule also provides a foundation from which the airline could potentially evaluate further capacity increases as demand develops.
Supporting Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions
The route arrives as Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in tourism infrastructure and international visitor connectivity under its broader economic diversification programme.
While traditional traffic between India and Saudi Arabia is heavily influenced by expatriate and religious travel, the Kingdom is increasingly seeking to attract international leisure visitors to destinations beyond the established religious tourism centres.
Riyadh itself has emerged as a growing business, entertainment and cultural destination, while Saudi Arabia is developing new tourism attractions across the country.
Improved air connectivity with Mumbai can therefore support both established and emerging travel segments.
A second Indian market in just months
flyadeal’s decision to add Mumbai only months after entering Hyderabad highlights the pace of its India expansion.
The two destinations give the carrier access to different major population and economic centres, strengthening its ability to capture demand across India’s domestic market.
For passengers, the combination of direct Mumbai–Riyadh flights and onward connections through Saudi Arabia creates additional travel options across the Kingdom.
The new service also reinforces the growing aviation relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, with airlines continuing to respond to demand from expatriates, businesses, tourists and religious travellers.
As flyadeal prepares to launch its Mumbai operation on October 3, the route will become an important addition to the carrier’s international network and another step in its strategy to establish a stronger presence in the Indian market.
“India holds great importance in flyadeal’s international growth strategy and adding Mumbai as our second Indian destination is a key milestone that expands our presence in this vital market. Our new Riyadh–Mumbai boosts capacity and gives the many Indian expatriates, business travellers and a growing number of tourists more choice and greater convenience when flying to and from the Kingdom,” says Sanjiv Kapoor, acting Chief Executive Officer, flyadeal and Executive Vice President Strategies Saudia
