• 3 Boeing planes complete
• Targeting 100 destinations by 2030
• Open to private sector partnerships

Saudi startup airline Riyadh Air is adding three aeroplanes to its fleet as it accelerates its expansion ahead of a planned global rollout.

The new Saudi flag carrier, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been operating with a single Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since it launched its first commercial flight in 2025.

Speaking on the opening day of the PIF Private Sector Forum in Riyadh, CEO Tony Douglas said that three 787-9s are complete at Boeing’s factory in Charleston, South Carolina, with a fourth “in the paint shop”.

Riyadh Air is one of 120 PIF portfolio companies pitching opportunities to investors and suppliers. Organisers said the forum is expected to yield more than 100 memoranda of understanding.

Douglas said the carrier is “open to business” when it comes to working with the private sector: “There is a wide waterfront of opportunity. Go all in. We’re here to partner.”

Riyadh Air has been offering a daily service to London Heathrow, and plans to connect to more than 100 destinations by 2030, flying from its base at King Khalid International Airport.

It placed a multi-billion-dollar order for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s in March 2023 and launched cargo operations in January of this year, delivering its first consignment to Heathrow. The carrier has said it aims to deploy more than 120 wide-body aircraft to link goods and passengers across more than 100 global cities.

Plane makers Airbus and Boeing, however, have a considerable backlog of orders.

Further reading:

• Delayed planes cost $10bn in missed revenue, Emirates says
• Saudia weighs Boeing and Airbus options for new order
• The tech reshaping passenger journeys at Gulf airports

PIF predicts that Riyadh Air will contribute $20 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and support more than 200,000 jobs globally.

Douglas said a “huge amount” of Saudi pilot cadets would be inducted into the company’s new pilot training facility at King Khalid International Airport later this year, while plans are in place to recruit 15,000 cabin crew staff “over the fullness of time”.

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