Riyadh Air flights between the Saudi capital and London Heathrow have quietly gone on sale to the public through online travel agencies (OTAs), in a move that appears to pre-empt the airline’s official commercial launch.

The listings were first identified by Skift, which found the flights available on platforms including Trip.com and Skyscanner, with bookings routed through third-party sellers such as Fly Sharp, BudgetAir and Carlton Leisure.

Independent checks by Gulf Business confirm the same availability via Skyscanner, where return fares are currently listed from around Dhs2,668. The flights appear under the codes RX401 and RX402 — the same numbers previously used by the airline for its invite-only operational readiness services, which was first launched in October last year.

The availability is notable because Riyadh Air has not formally announced the opening of ticket sales.

Skift reported that a full booking completed via Trip.com was successfully processed, with instant confirmation and a valid passenger name record (PNR) issued shortly after payment. This suggests the inventory is live and connected to global distribution systems, rather than a display error.

The emergence of publicly bookable tickets via OTAs suggests that the airline may be accelerating its transition from testing phase to commercial rollout, or that distribution channels have gone live ahead of a coordinated announcement.

Riyadh Air, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is one of the kingdom’s flagship aviation projects under Vision 2030. The carrier aims to serve more than 100 destinations by the end of the decade as Saudi Arabia positions Riyadh as a global aviation hub.

Etihad Airways and Air Cambodia have launched a codeshare partnership aimed at improving connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Cambodia, giving travellers easier access to Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Through the agreement, Etihad customers can book flights across its network to Siem Reap via Phnom Penh on a single ticket, with baggage checked through to the final destination. The partnership also expands access to Siem Reap’s night markets, Khmer cuisine, and cultural experiences. Air Cambodia passengers will also be able to book Etihad’s service between Phnom Penh and Abu Dhabi, an Etihad news report said.

Executives highlight growing demand

Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer at Etihad Airways, said, “Cambodia is an important and growing market within our network, with increasing demand for travel to and from the destination. This partnership with Air Cambodia enables us to extend that reach, providing our guests with seamless access between Siem Reap and the wider region through a single booking via Abu Dhabi.”

Read more-Etihad goes big on China with 5 new cities, 28 weekly flights added

Eng Molina, chief commercial officer at Air Cambodia, said, “This partnership with Etihad strengthens connections between Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Our passengers gain direct access to Abu Dhabi, an important hub for business, trade, and tourism, while Etihad’s customers can explore Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to discover the wonders of Angkor Wat and beyond.”

Additionally, Etihad guests can access Air Cambodia’s Vietnam network through the airlines’ interline partnership, opening further travel options across Southeast Asia, including Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Phu Quoc.

Etihad launched flights to Phnom Penh in October 2025 between Abu Dhabi and the Cambodian capital.

Gold prices slipped on Wednesday, as rising oil prices fuelled concerns of persistent inflation and markets waited to hear from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as they assessed the future path of interest rates.

Spot gold was down 0.6 per cent at $4,567.56 per ounce at 1058 GMT, after falling to its lowest level since April 2 in the previous session. US gold futures for June delivery fell 0.6 per cent to $4,580.80.

Efforts to end the Iran conflict were at an impasse, with US President Donald Trump unhappy with the latest proposal from Tehran, and urging Iran to ‘get smart soon’ and sign a deal.

Read more-Gold hits three-week low with US-Iran talks, central bank decisions in focus

“Market sentiment has shifted toward skepticism regarding a potential US-Iran agreement, reinforcing the ‘higher-for-longer’ interest rate narrative,” said Zain Vawda, analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.

The Fed is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at the end of its two-day meeting later today, while investors will be keen to hear whether the central bank is looking at hiking rates later this year if inflation accelerates.

High interest rates weigh on gold’s attractiveness as it’s a non-yielding asset.

“Gold remains acutely sensitive to this shifting rate environment, which inflationary pressures from rising oil prices are currently exacerbating,” Vawda said, adding that if the US and Iran can reach a swift deal, bulls could return and push gold to finish the year between $5,300 and $5,500/oz.

Oil prices extended gains, as markets assessed a report stating that the US will extend its blockade of Iranian ports, likely prolonging supply disruptions from the Middle East.

Global gold demand rose 2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 as a surge in purchases of gold bars and coins, along with an increase in buying by central banks, offset a 23% decline in jewellery demand, the World Gold Council said on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to ‘get smart soon’ and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict and a media report that the US would extend its blockade of Iran’s ports.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump, who has said Iran can call if it wants to talk and has stressed repeatedly Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon, said the country ‘couldn’t get its act together.’

The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying the president had instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to force Tehran to capitulate.

Officials said that Trump had opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports with the blockade as his other options, resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict, carried more risk, according to the WSJ.

“They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They’d better get smart soon!” Trump said in the post on Wednesday, without explaining what such a deal would entail.

Read more-Trump unhappy with Iran’s latest proposal to end the war, nuclear talks put on hold

Iran wants some kind of US acknowledgment of its right to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful, civilian purposes.

It has a stockpile of roughly 440 kilogrammes (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, material that could be used for several nuclear weapons if further enriched.

Iranian officials said on Tuesday the country could withstand the blockade as it was using alternative trade routes, and the Islamic Republic did not consider the conflict over.

The conflict has killed thousands, thrown energy markets into turmoil and disrupted global trade routes.

Iran wants formal end to conflict first

Iran’s most recent offer for resolving the two-month war, suspended since April 8 under a ceasefire agreement, would set aside discussion of its nuclear programme until the conflict is formally ended and shipping issues resolved.

That proposal did not meet Trump’s demand to have the nuclear issue discussed from the outset, however.

US intelligence agencies, at the request of senior administration officials, are studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory in the two-month-old war that has become a political liability for the White House, two US officials and a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Tehran has largely blocked all shipping apart from its own from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global energy supplies, since the war began on February 28. This month, the US began blockading Iranian ships.

Trump’s Truth Social post featured a mock-up image of himself in dark glasses and wielding a machine gun with the caption “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”

Iran’s guards take greater role

Hopes of a swift resolution to the conflict have receded since Trump last weekend scrapped a visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to mediator Pakistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited the country twice during the weekend.

Since several senior Iranian political and military figures were killed in US-Israeli strikes, Iran no longer has a single, undisputed arbiter at the pinnacle of power, which may be hardening Tehran’s negotiating stance.

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war, and the elevation of his wounded son, Mojtaba, to replace him as supreme leader, has handed more power to hardline commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian officials and analysts say.

Trump is under domestic pressure to end a war for which he has given the US public shifting rationales. His approval rating fell to the lowest level of his current term, as Americans increasingly soured on his handling of the cost of living and the unpopular war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll showed 34 per cent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, down from 36 per cent in the prior survey.

Oil prices rose nearly 3 per cent on Wednesday, with the Brent contract hitting a one-month high, on concerns that an extended blockade of Iranian ports would prolong supply disruptions.

The World Bank on Tuesday forecast energy prices would surge by 24 per cent in 2026 to their highest level since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, if the most acute disruptions caused by the Iran war end in May.