Riyadh Air Airbus A350-1000 Update

Riyadh Air, an upcoming Saudi Arabia-based carrier, has signed a deal for engines to power its Airbus A350 fleet.

The deal involves the purchase of 116 Trent XWB-97 engines from Rolls-Royce, as part of a previous announcement for 25 Airbus A350-1000s with options for a further 25, bringing the total to 50.

The carrier signed the deal on the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show and attended the ceremony, which was also attended by executives from both the airline and engine provider, Rolls-Royce.

While engines played a key part in the deal, other agreements were also made that involved the service and health of the engines once they are delivered to Riyadh Air.

This part of their deal is a Memorandum of Understanding, which includes a comprehensive TotalCare service that ensures the XWB-97s are maintained to the highest standard.

The growth of Riyadh Air is of critical importance to the development of Saudi Arabia as an aviation hub, and selecting world-class companies like Rolls-Royce to power our future Airbus large wide-body fleet ensures we have the right partners in place to achieve our ambitions. This deal for 50 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines to power our fleet of Airbus A350-1000 aircraft is hugely significant as it brings us closer to realizing our long-term vision of enhanced connectivity for Riyadh.  Our goal is to deliver an unrivalled guest experience, linked to a world-class network and provide our guests with unlimited options to fly direct to major global cities.

Adam Boukadida, CFO of Riyadh Air

Riyadh Air aims to fly to over 100 global destinations by 2030, and with 182 aircraft across three fleet types, ensuring that Rolls-Royce has its back to power the fleet is crucial.

The Riyadh Air A350 Order

The need for Riyadh Air to order engines for its Airbus A350-1000 follows a landmark purchase announcement on the first day of the 2025 Paris Airshow.

The firm contract, which was signed, includes 25 of the A350-1000 jets, the largest model in the series. Once delivered, this plane will become the airline’s flagship.

A decision in favour of Airbus also results in the snubbing of Boeing’s alternative, which was also pitched in the 777X series.

While 25 firm purchases have been made, Riyadh Air has also secured itself for the future with the deal, which includes options for a further 25 units, bringing the total to 50.

Thanks to this purchase, Riyadh Air becomes the first airline in Saudi Arabia to fly the A350-1000.