King Khalid Airport Adds AirAsia X Route to Bangkok Don Mueang, Strengthening its New Tourism Links with Southeast Asia

Published on December 4, 2025

King Khalid International Airport, operated by Riyadh Airports Company, has announced a new international route connecting Riyadh to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. Operated by AirAsia X, the service further extends the long haul low cost carrier’s network into the Gulf region and opens another air bridge between Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia.

The route began operations on December 2 with a clear strategic rationale: it would enhance Saudi Arabia’s global air network, drive more visitors and transiting traffic, and further establish Riyadh’s position as an emerging aviation and tourism center. In time, the new service is expected to do more than merely cater to existing demand but will build new tourism flows, drive multi-destination travel, and further advance economic linkages between the two regions.

Four Weekly Flights Create Reliable And Flexible Travel Patterns

The Riyadh–Bangkok Don Mueang route operates four times a week, giving travelers regular and predictable options. Flights run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, a schedule that works efficiently for short leisure breaks, longer holidays, and business trips.

This structure allows passengers to plan weekend escapes, week-long stays, or extended itineraries across Thailand and wider Southeast Asia. For Riyadh Airports Company, the additional capacity supports the wider aim of growing annual passenger numbers, improving travel efficiency, and offering more choice to both residents and international visitors connecting through KKIA.

A330 Widebody Service Balances Comfort And Capacity

The new route is operated by AirAsia X using Airbus A330 aircraft. Each aircraft offers 285 seats in total, including 30 lie-flat business class seats and 255 economy class seats. This configuration allows the airline to serve a wide mix of premium and value-focused travelers. Business guests, long haul leisure travelers, and frequent flyers can choose the lie-flat business class for added comfort, while families, budget travelers, and group tours benefit from the economy cabin’s competitive pricing and capacity.

In the long term, this blend of comfort and affordability is likely to encourage repeat visits, position the route as a preferred option for Gulf–ASEAN travel, and support the growth of organized tour packages and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) travel between the two capitals.

Supporting Saudi Aviation Ambitions And Vision Led Growth

The new connection supports Saudi Arabia’s aviation development agenda, which aims to expand the number of international routes, increase seat capacity, and make the Kingdom a major global transit and tourism hub. By linking Riyadh with additional global capitals and fast-growing tourism destinations, King Khalid International Airport contributes to broader economic diversification goals, including attracting more foreign tourists and investors, enhancing air cargo and trade connectivity, and strengthening Riyadh’s competitive position among regional hubs. As schedules mature and awareness builds, the Riyadh–Bangkok Don Mueang route is expected to play a role in helping Saudi Arabia reach its long term tourism targets, including higher annual visitor arrivals and a growing share of global transit traffic.

Immediate Tourism Gains For Bangkok And Saudi Arabia

Operating into Don Mueang International Airport, one of Thailand’s major low-cost aviation hubs, gives passengers convenient onward access to domestic destinations like Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Hat Yai, as well as other cities in the region. This supports Thailand’s tourism economy by spreading visitors across multiple provinces rather than concentrating them in a single city.

For travelers from Thailand and neighbouring ASEAN countries using AirAsia’s network, the new route opens an easier path to Riyadh and, from there, to other parts of Saudi Arabia, including heritage destinations, desert experiences, coastal cities, and religious tourism hubs. This strengthens Saudi Arabia’s profile across Southeast Asia as a modern, welcoming, and increasingly accessible destination.

Gateway To AirAsia Network And Multi Destination Travel

The link to Don Mueang International Airport gives Riyadh-origin passengers access to AirAsia’s extensive network across the ASEAN region and beyond. Through easy transfers, travelers can design multi-country itineraries spanning Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and emerging beach and nature destinations across Southeast Asia.

In the future, this is likely to encourage more multi-destination trips, where visitors from Saudi Arabia combine Bangkok with other regional stops, and where ASEAN travelers use Riyadh as both a standalone destination and a transit point for wider Middle East and Africa travel. Such patterns generate higher per-trip spending, more hotel nights, and a broader tourism footprint for both regions.

Strengthening Bilateral Relations And Future Tourism Cooperation

The launch of the route is also an indicator of deepening relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand. Enhanced air connectivity is often a precursor to stronger bilateral ties, including expanded tourism promotion campaigns, joint initiatives between tourism boards and airlines, growth in business travel, trade delegations, and investment missions, and increased student exchanges, cultural visits, and sports tourism.

Looking ahead, the route can serve as a platform for co-branded tourism marketing, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s new tourism projects and Thailand’s established appeal, encouraging travelers to explore both destinations over time. This mutually beneficial flow helps diversify source markets for each country and improves resilience against regional downturns.

Future Tourism Impact: A New Corridor Between The Gulf And ASEAN

Over the coming years, the Riyadh–Bangkok Don Mueang route has the potential to develop into a key tourism and business corridor connecting the Gulf with ASEAN. As tourism demand recovers and grows, several future impacts are likely. The route is expected to lead to rising visitor numbers from Saudi Arabia to Thailand for leisure, wellness, and shopping tourism and increased Thai and Southeast Asian visitors to Saudi Arabia for culture, events, adventure, and religious tourism.

Increased stopover programs will encourage transit passengers to spend one or two nights in Riyadh before continuing their journey. This generates additional revenue for local hotels, tour operators, and restaurants, while also benefiting Riyadh’s growing tourism infrastructure. Moreover, the rise of specialist segments such as honeymoon travel, medical tourism, sports events, and business conferences will further diversify the demand for this new air link. If load factors remain strong, the route could see frequency upgrades, seasonal capacity increases, or even additional Saudi–Thailand routes from other cities, further reinforcing the tourism bridge between the two nations.

Riyadh’s Emerging Role As A Future-Proof Tourism And Aviation Hub

Every new international route cements King Khalid International Airport’s path toward becoming a future-proof hub for the region. The partnership with AirAsia X brings not only a well-known Asian carrier into the Riyadh market but also a signal to other airlines that demand is increasing and sustainable between the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

In the longer term, the route contributes to higher hotel occupancy and spending in Riyadh from stopover and inbound tourists, as well as expanded opportunities for tour operators, destination management companies, and hospitality brands. Riyadh will be further exposed to international travelers, while sustained growth in tourism across Southeast Asia aligns with Saudi Arabia’s evolving Vision 2030 efforts centered on tourism development and economic diversification.

Image Source: AirAsia X