Delta Air Lines Is Launching Its First Direct Route to Saudi Arabia

Delta Air Lines will kick off nonstop service between Atlanta (ATL) and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (RUH), starting Oct. 23, 2026, marking its first direct route to Saudi Arabia and the first nonstop service between the U.S. and Riyadh operated by a U.S. airline.

Delta will fly the route daily from Oct. 23 through Oct. 30, before transitioning to a three-times-weekly schedule. All flights will operate on Delta’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft, featuring Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin options.

The flight, at 7,000 miles, will be one of Delta’s longest. Its current longest flight by distance is between Atlanta (ATL) and Johannesburg (JNB) at around 8,433 miles.

The route is another step in Delta’s expansion into the Middle East following the partnership agreement it signed with Riyadh Air in July 2024. That deal made Delta Riyadh Air’s exclusive North American partner and Riyadh Air Delta’s exclusive partner in Riyadh. The new flight will connect more than 150 North American markets to Riyadh via a single connection in Atlanta.

Previously, Saudia—a fellow SkyTeam alliance partner—held a monopoly on nonstop flights between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, operating out of gateways including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Delta’s new service provides U.S.-based travel advisors with a familiar domestic-carrier booking path and native SkyMiles integration for their clients.