Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, announced an order for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show.
The agreement, which includes 25 firm orders with purchase rights for an additional 25 aircraft, was signed by Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer at Riyadh Air, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales of Commercial Aircraft Business at Airbus, the airline announced in a statement yesterday.
The signing ceremony was attended by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund, Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft.
The new aircraft will optimize Riyadh Air’s fleet, capacity, and operations, while minimizing the number of aircraft types in the fleet. With this new order of up to 50 planes, the airline now has up to 182 aircraft on order and will operate a three-type fleet with flights set to commence later in 2025.
Commenting on the deal, Al-Rumayyan stated that adding the Airbus A350-1000 to Riyadh Air’s fleet demonstrates the airline's strategic contribution to positioning Saudi Arabia as a global aviation hub.
For his part, CEO Douglas said: “Riyadh Air is making significant progress as we move towards our first flight later this year, and agreeing this deal for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft is an important statement of intent.”
He emphasized Riyadh Air’s pivotal role in enhancing the Saudi aviation ecosystem, creating 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributing almost $20 billion to the national non-oil GDP.
“Already in 2025, we have received our AOC and unveiled our new cabin interiors, and having now completed our initial three aircraft orders, we are in a position to fulfil our ambitious network goals,” Douglas added.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to innovation and decarbonization whilst connecting the vibrant Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the world! Riyadh Air’s selection of the A350-1000 underscores the aircraft’s unmatched capability to deliver a premium passenger experience and operational excellence, perfectly aligned with the ambitions of Vision 2030”, Scherer said.
The A350-1000 aircraft has an operational range of more than 16,000 km, allowing Riyadh Air’s network to reach the farthest corners of the globe and bringing major cities within reach. By 2030, Riyadh Air plans to serve over 100 global destinations.