Riyadh Air Set To Welcome First Boeing 787

Riyadh Air, a luxurious carrier of Saudi Arabia slated for launch in 2025, is about to receive its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a significant leap towards official launch.

The positive news specifically surrounds a leased aircraft that is set to join the business in a fully painted livery and will be unveiled at the airline home in due course, that being Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

However, unlike many first deliveries, which have the fanfare of helping propel an airline to launch, this aircraft will serve a different purpose for Riyadh Air moving forward.

The first 787-9 that joins the business will be used for training purposes and as an operational spare in the initial launch phase for the new international airline.

This plane will not feature the airline’s upcoming cabin interior. For those words, it is precisely upcoming. Despite inching closer to its official launch, Riyadh Air has yet to reveal the cabin product aboard its planes formally, and this plane will not have what is expected to come.

The 787-9 will be crucial in the Riyadh Air operation at launch. The carrier already has some 72 aircraft on order from this family alone, with the jet set to fly towards major international cities.

Furthermore, the airline still targets a 2025 launch. It has been diligently working towards the Air Operator Certificate (AOC), a crucial step in getting the formal approval to commence scheduled passenger services.

Riyadh Air Won’t Compete With Middle East Carrier’s

Riyadh Air, despite its proximity towards locations such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, even Doha and thus these home to what is broadly considered to be the big three airlines of the Middle East, is still trying to carve its niche.

This business model is backed up by the airline CEO Tony Douglas, who previously worked with Etihad Airways during some of its most challenging and debt-ridden times.

Douglas argues that there’s enough demand in Saudi Arabia, and the vision for this part of the world is only to increase tourism to allow it to act as a state-of-the-art airline and not feel threatened by established Middle Eastern companies.

Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways also attempt to use their network to beef up their home city. They have competed with each other for feeder traffic as they still act as pivotal transit locations.

Riyadh Air is promising a world-class airline that focuses on being modern and affordable. It wants to meet the expectations laid out for it while not necessarily breaking the bank for something out of reach for most.