Riyadh Air has decided to diversify its fleet with Airbus jets. Saudi Arabia’s new carrier announced on Wednesday a firm order for 60 A321neo jets.
The new agreement was signed at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh and was attended by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the airline’s CEO, Tony Douglas, as well as Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, and Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Executive Vice President of Sales for the division.
The Airbus aircraft selection comes almost a year after rumors of a Boeing 737 MAX order, which was tipped to take place during the Dubai Airshow in November 2023.
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The A321neo is currently the most successful commercial aircraft in air travel, with more than 6,700 firm orders as of September.
Riyadh Air, however, did not specify which variants it would receive. In addition to the standard A321neo, there is the A321LR and the new ultra-long-range A321XLR, which has just had its first aircraft delivered.
The Saudi carrier had selected the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to operate its long-haul routes in March 2023.
A total of 39 widebodies have been ordered, with 33 purchase options. Therefore, Riyadh Air’s fleet will have 132 jets if the right to the slots on Boeing’s production line is exercised.
Riyadh Air intends to debut its first routes in 2025 and transform King Khalid International Airport into a global hub along the lines of what Emirates Airline does in Dubai.
“This investment will not only enable us to support economic growth in the aviation industry, it will ensure Riyadh Air operates one of the most fuel efficient fleets. It’ll be instrumental in helping Saudi Arabia achieve its decarbonization goals,” said Tony Douglas.
“We are proud to welcome Riyadh Air as a new Airbus customer and partner. The latest generation A321neo aircraft will bring exceptional efficiency to the airline’s operations, concrete contributions to its decarbonisation goals and comfort to its passengers,” said Christian Scherer.
