Riyadh Air To Order Airbus A350-1000

Riyadh Air is set to confirm a significant order for new wide-body aircraft, thus ending much industry speculation.

Set to be confirmed at the 2025 edition of the Paris Air Show, Airbus has won the contract that the upcoming Saudi Arabia-based carrier has put forward to provide new long-haul jets.

The deal includes 25 Airbus A350-1000s, following previous reporting that suggested the possibility of up to 50 aircraft being ordered.

The final decision and contract parameters are expected to be announced next week, when the Paris Airshow kicks off, with industry leaders convening in one location.

Riyadh Air believes that the addition of a high-capacity wide-body aircraft, such as the A350-1000, will be crucial to its long-term network development and help solidify its position within the industry.

This carrier has been ambitious from the start and will debut with a fleet of Boeing 787s; it’ll also leverage the Airbus A321neo series to help develop its medium-haul network.

Looking ahead, the addition of the A350-1000 will provide much-needed capacity to international markets and solidify the airline’s fleet as one of the youngest in the world, certainly one of the most efficient.

Riyadh Air’s Big Decision

Despite the airline having reached a decision, the journey to the A350-1000 has been one with many bumps in the road and has required much consideration.

Riyadh Air initially requested an order for an aircraft such as the A350-1000 last year, having delayed its launch due to 787 delivery delays. This did not stop the push to grow.

While Airbus put its A350-1000 forward as an option, there was competition from Boeing, which also had their 777-9, part of the 777X, which was the competing offer.

In typical fashion, an airline issues RFPs, or Requests for Proposals, to leading aircraft manufacturers to present their best products, terms, and more, which are then taken into consideration before a deal is finalised.

Given the complications surrounding the 777X series and the inability to meet deadlines and obtain certification thus far, there has been external noise about the potential impact of a 777X order, given the delayed delivery.

For Riyadh Air, what also had to be considered was the relationships it had already built with the plane makers. While the 787 had been ordered, so had the A321neo family; therefore, this new widebody deal was seen as an important one.