Riyadh Air orders up to 50 Airbus A350s

Travel Weekly

9 hours ago

Nascent Saudi Arabian carrier Riyadh Air has placed firm orders for 25 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
Riyadh Air also secured options for 25 more A350-1000, the largest variant of Airbus' newest widebody aircraft family, as the state-owned airline positions itself to emerge by 2030 as a substantial international operator.
With Monday's announcement, which came at the biannual Paris Air Show, Riyah Air now has a firm order book of 124 planes, including 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 60 Airbus A321neo narrowbodies to accompany the A350s.
The carrier also has options on 33 additional Dreamliners.
Riyadh Air is targeting a commercial launch before the end of this year, having received an air operating certificate from Saudi Arabia in April.
$800 billion Saudi tourism drive
The airline is a key portion of the Saudi government's $800 billion effort to drive an influx of tourism and international business to the long-reclusive kingdom. Riyadh Air says it will connect its eponymous base city with more than 100 destinations around the globe by 2030.
Riyadh Air also aims to become a significant player in the East-West connecting market, competing against Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, among others.
The airline said Monday that it will offer a first-class cabin on its A350-1000s to complement business, premium economy and economy cabins.
Riyah Air is promising to equip its aircraft with industry leading digital features and connectivity, including the largest business-class inflight entertainment screens in the sky.