Latest news with #A3501000
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Riyadh Air signs Rolls-Royce deal to power A350-1000 fleet
Riyadh Air, the Kingdom's new national carrier, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce to purchase 100 Trent XWB-97 engines to power up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The agreement was formalised during the 55th annual Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, reported SPA. The Trent XWB-97 engine, specifically engineered for the Airbus A350-1000, is recognised as the most efficient large jet engine in service, capable of delivering up to 97,000 pounds of thrust. The deal marks a major milestone in Riyadh Air's growth strategy and reflects the carrier's ambitions to establish a global network spanning more than 100 destinations by 2030. Riyadh Air plans to operate a total fleet of 182 aircraft across three different types. Scheduled to commence operations later this year, Riyadh Air aims to redefine air travel by offering a seamless and elevated passenger experience. The A350-1000 aircraft equipped with Trent XWB-97 engines will significantly enhance the airline's long-haul capabilities, enabling it to connect the Saudi capital to major cities around the world—further reinforcing Riyadh's position as a key hub among Group of Twenty (G20) nations. This collaboration with major international partners underscores Riyadh Air's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology and strategic global partnerships to deliver operational excellence that meets the aspirations of its passengers. Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Gulf Business
18-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
Riyadh Air signs Rolls-Royce deal to power A350-1000 fleet
Image credit: Riyadh Air/ Website Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new national airline, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce to acquire 100 Trent XWB-97 engines for its future fleet of 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The agreement was announced during the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget and marks a major milestone in the airline's global expansion strategy. Read- The Trent XWB-97, developed specifically for the Airbus A350-1000, is recognised as the most efficient large aircraft engine in service. It delivers up to 97,000 pounds of thrust and is expected to significantly boost Riyadh Air's long-haul capabilities, With operations set to begin later this year, Riyadh Air plans to establish a global network connecting the Saudi capital to more than 100 destinations by 2030. The airline ultimately aims to operate 182 aircraft across three models. Strategic leap in aviation ambitions Equipped with the Trent XWB-97 engines, the A350-1000s will enable Riyadh Air to link Riyadh to major global cities, reinforcing its position as a key international aviation hub among G20 nations. 'This deal demonstrates our commitment to operational excellence and cutting-edge technology,' the airline said in a statement. 'It brings us closer to redefining air travel through an elevated, seamless passenger experience.' Technology-driven travel with Ink Innovation In a separate move aimed at enhancing its digital capabilities, The platform gives travelers full control over their journeys—allowing changes mid-trip, real-time service upgrades, and access to third-party content. This modular approach replaces outdated booking systems and is designed to meet the evolving expectations of modern passengers. 'Ink is a key partner to Riyadh Air,' said CEO Tony Douglas. 'As a like-minded tech innovator, they're helping us shape a digital-first travel experience starting from the very first touchpoint.' Redefining air travel for a digital future With strategic global partnerships and a focus on advanced aviation technologies, Riyadh Air is positioning itself as a digitally native airline. Its combined efforts with Rolls-Royce and Ink Innovation highlight a forward-thinking approach to air travel aimed at convenience, sustainability, and global connectivity.
Gulf Business
17-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
Riyadh Air signs deal for 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at Paris Air Show
Image: Riyadh Air Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new national carrier, announced an order for 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft during the 55th annual Paris Air Show, marking a major step forward in the kingdom's ambitious aviation expansion. The agreement includes 25 firm orders with options for an additional 25 aircraft. The signing ceremony took place at Le Bourget Airport and was attended by senior officials including PIF governor and Riyadh Air chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Riyadh Air CEO 'Our new national carrier is set to launch in the near future and represents a key component of the kingdom's infrastructure,' said Al-Rumayyan. 'It will connect Riyadh to over 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.' He added that the A350-1000 acquisition reinforces Saudi Arabia's position as a global aviation hub. Image: Riyadh Air Riyadh Air aims to enhance international connectivity with top in class fleet The airline's vision is to offer best-in-class service while playing a strategic role in economic diversification, in line with PIF's strategy to unlock high-growth sectors. The launch of Riyadh Air is a key enabler of the National Aviation Strategy and the National Tourism Strategy, which aim to enhance international connectivity, boost Riyadh's standing as a global business destination, expand air cargo capacity, and support the kingdom's growing tourism sector by increasing access to cultural and natural attractions. The A350-1000s, Airbus' largest and most modern wide-body aircraft, will support Riyadh Air's long-haul network and global ambitions. In other news, earlier this month, Riyadh Air and Air France-KLM signed a MoU, marking a significant step forward in global connectivity for guests traveling between Riyadh, Paris, Amsterdam, and destinations far beyond. Subject to regulatory approvals, the collaboration aims to gradually introduce a wide range of benefits for guests and to unlock new opportunities across Western Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Saudi Arabia.
The National
16-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Paris Air Show: Riyadh Air signs deal for 25 Airbus A350 planes
Riyadh Air placed a firm order for 25 Airbus A350-1000 planes at the Paris Air Show on Monday, expanding its wide-body fleet as part of Saudi Arabia's broader plans to become an aviation and tourism hub. The Saudi start-up airline 's agreement includes options for 25 more aircraft of the same model, Airbus said on Monday during the first day of the event in Le Bourget. "It's a clear signal of our intent to shape the future of air travel and contribute meaningfully to the kingdom's fast-growing aviation ecosystem," said Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer of Riyadh Air. The long-anticipated order marks the airline's second deal for wide-body planes. In March 2023, Riyadh Air, backed by the Public Investment Fund, placed an order for 39 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with options for 33 more. It has yet to firm up these options. Monday's announcement is Riyadh Air's second deal with Airbus. Last October, it placed an order for 60 A321 Neo narrow-body aircraft as it builds up its fleet for short-haul trips. The airline, which expects to begin its first commercial flight in the fourth quarter of this year, is part of Saudi Arabia's broader plan to attract affluent, high-spending tourists, rather than mass volumes of travellers. Saudi Arabia plans to become a travel hot spot, having invested $800 billion to develop the sector and set a revised target of attracting 150 million visitors by the end of the decade. Riyadh Air recently received its Air Operator Certificate, took delivery of its first technical spare aircraft, and is set to announce the first of its routes and flight dates in the coming months, it said in April. The agreement with Riyadh Air marked Airbus's second order at the first day of the Paris Air Show. It came a few hours after the European plane maker signed a deal with Saudi Arabian plane lessor AviLease for up to 77 aircraft. Airbus expects global demand for 42,450 new passenger planes between 2025 and 2044, according to its Global Market Forecast released before the Paris Air Show. That is up 2 per cent from its previous forecast. The Paris Air Show, which takes place during the week beginning June 16 at Le Bourget in the north-eastern suburbs of the French capital, is the world's biggest aviation trade show. The biennial expo comes only days after Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed in the city of Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and others on the ground. Boeing's chief executive Kelly Ortberg and its chief of commercial planes unit Stephanie Pope have cancelled their planned trip to the show. The US plane maker has limited its schedule at the event as it focuses on supporting the Air India crash investigation. Its European rival is expected to dominate this year's Paris Air Show, whereas the US plane maker had hauled in major orders during a recent trip to the Middle East by US President Donald Trump last month.
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Telegraph
Everything you need to know about taking an ‘ultra long haul' flight
By the end of 2026, it should be possible to fly direct from London to Sydney in around 20 hours aboard an A350-1000. Codenamed 'Project Sunrise', Qantas's plan to cut flight time between the two cities by up to four hours (compared with those that include a stopover) has been nine years in the making. The airline has reportedly invested around $4.4 billion into 12 new planes to make this journey – alongside another route between New York and Sydney – as comfortable as possible, while an extra fuel tank means the aircraft can fly for up to 22 hours. But, though London-Sydney is scheduled to be the world's longest ultra long haul flight, it's far from the first. Back in 1936, a Pan Am flight from San Francisco to Hawaii took more than 19 hours to reach its destination, despite flying less than 4,000 kilometres. It wasn't until 2004 that ultra long haul (ULH) flights as we know them took off, with Singapore Airlines's route between Newark and Singapore Changi clocking up more than 15,000 kilometres. Though very long flights briefly fell out of favour with rising fuel costs, the airline now operates what's currently the longest route in the world: JFK to Singapore Changi. But what does taking an ULH flight mean for you, your body and your wallet? Find out below… What is an ultra long-haul flight? Officially, the term applies to any non-stop flight which is more than 16 hours in duration – of which there are currently around 30, though most originate or land in the United States. There are also flights from Doha to Auckland, Shenzhen to Mexico City and Paris Charles de Gaulle to Perth, while Qantas already operates a non-stop one between Heathrow and Perth, with a flight time of just under 17 hours. As well as being easy and convenient for passengers, ULH routes have benefits for airlines, too. For example, they usually have more first and business class seats to cater for business travellers and leisure passengers willing to pay a higher price to ensure greater comfort. Even in economy, tickets are likely to be more expensive than journeys with multiple legs: the cheapest direct flights from London to Perth in October 2025 at the time of writing were £1,833; add a stopover in Singapore and the price drops to £1,139. 'ULH flights disproportionately attract premium travellers,' says the founder of aviation consultancy firm BAA & Partners, Linus Benjamin Bauer. 'With business class and premium economy yielding more per seat than economy, these routes can materially lift overall profitability. The production and implementation cost of a premium economy seat is 1.6 times higher than that of an economy class seat, yet it generates 2.3 times higher revenues than its production cost.' Qantas may also be hoping that its new route will cut competition from Middle Eastern and Asian carriers with well-used stopover hubs. How do you pass the time? Love movie marathons? You're in luck. On Qantas's new route, you could potentially watch as many as 13 feature-length films – and you won't even need to pack snacks (these will be available in self-service fridges onboard). Served meals, however, can feel few and far between when flying ultra long-haul. On Singapore Airlines' 19-hour JFK-Singapore route, there's (tray) table service for only dinner and breakfast, with light snacks in between. The good news is there's a lot more than 'chicken or beef' to eat on these flights. 'Meal services are being re-engineered,' says Bauer. 'For example, lighter, low-inflammatory meals with adjusted timings help modulate melatonin levels and align with passengers' destination time zones – a practice pioneered by Qantas and Singapore Airlines.' What's it like to sleep on board? First and business class passengers should have no problem getting some rest. Bauer says airlines are engaged in an 'arms race in premium comfort' and cites Qatar's business class QSuite, which comes with doors, mood-lighting and fully lie-flat beds, as the cream of the crop. On Qantas's new planes, specially-designed first class cabins are like small, but very sleek, bedrooms, complete with dining areas for two and comfy beds with flexible backrests. Business class passengers will sleep in lie-flat beds, and premium economy passengers get footrests and 40-inch seat pitches. But, while the cheapest seats will have 33-inch pitches, shelves for iPads and free Wi-Fi to help the time pass more quickly, spending 19 hours in economy still doesn't look like a particularly enticing prospect. There may be another issue with shut-eye too. According to the Sleep Foundation, 'the circadian clock takes about 1-1.5 days to adapt per time zone crossed,' so it could take more than nine days to recover from an ULH flight between London and Sydney. A stopover in the Middle East means a more gentle adjustment and gives passengers the opportunity to seek out daylight and fresh air en route, both of which can help with jetlag. Are ultra long-haul flights bad for your health? Operators are keen to do whatever they can to make ULH flights as comfortable as possible. 'It's not just an amenity issue – it's a strategic imperative to justify premium pricing and mitigate health and fatigue risks,' he says. 'Some carriers are piloting AI-driven in-flight wellness apps that adjust lighting, and offer hydration reminders and stretch routines based on biometric feedback.' Qantas's new planes will even have 'Wellbeing Zones' available to all passengers, featuring stocked fridges and 'movement areas' with guided exercises. Lights have been designed to 'optimise the circadian effects of different times' across all the cabins. With so much being done to mitigate the ill effects of ULH travel, it may be tempting to skip the ankle and neck rolls and regular jaunts through the cabin that physiotherapists so often advise. Don't. Flights lasting longer than 10 hours pose the greatest risk of DVT according to the American Society of Hematology. Meanwhile, easy exercises such as the ones recommended by physiotherapist Helen Davison in this article should help keep aches and pains at bay. What can passengers do pre- and post-flight to mitigate any ill effects? Embrace drink – just not the alcoholic or caffeinated kind. Experts suggest people can lose up to two litres of water on long-haul flights. Liquids can help keep headaches and joint swelling at bay and electrolyte sachets could help too. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority advises moving bed and waking times in the weeks before flying, in order to more easily adjust to a new time zone. Passengers can also use an online jet lag calculator to find out the best times to seek out sunlight on arrival. There's no better excuse for a spa treatment either. At the Sofitel London Heathrow, guests can book an hour-long Jet Lag Recovery massage that starts with work on the legs and feet (and may help with puffy, achy ankles), before moving on to a tension-relieving back and shoulder massage and rehydrating facial. Will we see more ULH routes? Definitely – but not from the UK in the near future. According to Bauer, 'Singapore Airlines and Qantas are exploring new non-stop services to secondary North American cities such as Boston, Chicago and Miami,' while 'Air India, under its Tata-led transformation, is evaluating a direct Delhi–Los Angeles route'.
