Riyadh Air pilot recruitment

RX / RXI

New Saudi national airline owned by the PIF sovereign wealth fund and based in Riyadh. It has flown between Riyadh and London Heathrow since October 2025, began commercial operations with its own Boeing 787-9s in June 2026 and aims to serve 100 destinations by 2030.

Riyadh Air fleet, hub and head office

2023

Founded

Head office

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Main hub

Riyadh (King Khalid)

Fleet (aircraft types operated)

Boeing 787-9 in service; Boeing 787-9 and 787-10, Airbus A321neo and A350-1000 on order

Pilot recruitment at Riyadh Air

The listings on Riyadh Air's pilot recruitment portal are for experienced pilots based in Riyadh, for example First Officer B787 (ICAO ATPL, at least 2 000 hours on multi-crew multi-engine jets, unrestricted Class 1 medical, ICAO English Level 4 or above) or A321 Cadre Check Pilot for the launch of the A321neo fleet (8 000 hours including 3 000 hours of recent command on the A320 family). For young Saudis, the airline has announced employment-linked training routes (the Nawat programme, which includes a cadet pilot stream, and scholarships including a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science with Embry-Riddle), but no detailed criteria were published in the sources consulted. Check vacancies on the riyadhair.com careers page and beware of fake recruitment sites: the airline says it never asks candidates for fees.

Recruitment information is given as a guide only (public sources, subject to change over time): always check the current conditions on the airline's careers site.

History of Riyadh Air

Announced on 12 March 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh Air is funded by the PIF sovereign wealth fund and placed a Boeing 787-9 order at launch. It received the IATA code RX and its economic licence in 2023, ordered Airbus A321neos in 2024 and A350-1000s in 2025. A first flight to London Heathrow, on a leased 787-9, took place on 26 October 2025 as part of an operational readiness phase; the airline took delivery of its first new 787-9s and began commercial operations to London in June 2026.

Pay and conditions, from public sources

Figures published by the airline, pilot unions or the press, each one dated (last update: June 2026). For information only.

Captain: according to figures reported by the specialist press and not confirmed by Riyadh Air, about SAR 85,000 to 115,000 per month on narrow-body and SAR 90,000 to 120,000 on wide-body, depending on experience and instructor duties (May 2025).
First officer: about SAR 60,000 per month on the A321neo and SAR 65,000 on the Boeing 787-9, according to the same unofficial reports (May 2025).
Flying hours: pay is based on 75 hours per month; extra hours would be paid SAR 400 (narrow-body) or SAR 500 (wide-body) between 75 and 85 hours, then SAR 500 and SAR 600 above that (May 2025).
Reported benefits: housing in an expatriate area of Riyadh, schooling for up to three children, 20 return tickets a year for family and friends, a one-month Ramadan bonus, a 5% annual raise and profit-sharing (May 2025).
Entry requirements: first officers with at least 2,000 hours on multi-crew jets, ICAO ATPL, Class 1 medical and ICAO English level 5; captains with 6,000 hours including 2,000 recent wide-body command hours, 150 command hours in the last 12 months, and under 59 (May 2025).
Active hiring: the airline held its first international pilot recruitment roadshows in London Gatwick and Manchester in April 2026, with further stops announced in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore (March 2026).
Riyadh Air launched its inaugural flight RX401 from Riyadh to London Heathrow on the Boeing 787-9 (June 2026).

Sources read (3)

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Preparing for psychometric tests before a selection

Some pilot selections include psychometric tests. ForAllPilots does not say whether Riyadh Air uses them, or which ones: none of the series below is presented as Riyadh Air's.

To practise anyway, the site offers several series of exercises, included with the ATPL subscription. They are practice exercises, not official tests: ForAllPilots is not affiliated with any airline or any test publisher, and the exact rules or scoring may differ.

Blog guides to practise with

Prepare your theory: BIA, PPL and ATPL questions

Whether you are aiming for Riyadh Air or another airline, the ForAllPilots revision bank covers the BIA, the PPL and the ATPL.

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Other airlines

ForAllPilots is an independent site: it is not affiliated with Riyadh Air or any other airline, and publishes no job offers. To apply, go through the airline's careers site.