Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, Riyadh Air, announced an order for 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the 55th Paris Air Show.
The deal includes 25 firm orders with options to purchase an additional 25 aircraft.
The agreement was signed at a signing ceremony at Paris Le Bourget by Riyadh Air Chief Financial Officer Adam Bougadita and Airbus Commercial Aircraft Vice President of Sales Benoit de Saint-Exupéry in the presence of His Excellency Yasser Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the PIF and Chairman of Riyadh Air, Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft.
The A350-1000 has an operational range of over 16,000 km, allowing Riyadh Air’s network to reach the most remote corners of the world and reach major cities. The airline expects to serve more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030, ensuring that Riyadh, the capital of the G20, will be strongly connected to the world ahead of major events such as Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034TM.
Riyadh Air has selected the Airbus A350-1000 to further enhance its fleet, capacity and operations, and reduce the number of aircraft types in its fleet. With this new order of up to 50 aircraft, the start-up airline now has 182 aircraft on order and will operate a three-type fleet, with flights scheduled to begin in late 2025. The airline, which has a large seating capacity, plans to offer guests a stylish and exclusive First Class cabin on the Airbus A350, complementing its recently unveiled Business Class and cabin interior, raising the bar for delivering an exceptional and innovative guest experience.
Riyadh Air aims to be a leading airline and equips its fleet with the latest and most advanced digital features, providing an innovative guest experience that is best in class in terms of cabin interior design, in addition to the latest generation of entertainment and connectivity systems.
The establishment of Riyadh Air is in line with PIF’s strategy to open up promising sectors locally to support economic diversification. The airline will provide tourists from around the world with the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural attractions and further establish Riyadh as a major business hub for the world. Riyadh Air will also serve as a catalyst for the Saudi National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the National Tourism Strategy by increasing air transport options, increasing cargo capacity, and developing international passenger traffic.
Website: www.riyadhair.com
