Category Archives: Riyadh Air

Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, signs its first sports sponsorship deal with Leading Spanish Football Club

Saudi Arabia’s newly launched world-class airline, Riyadh Air and leading Spanish football club, Atlético de Madrid today signed a multi-year partnership naming the airline as the main and official airline partner of the Red and White football club. The partnership marks a significant milestone for both parties and is the first sports sponsorship that Riyadh Air has signed since its official launch on March 12, 2023.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, and Miguel Ángel Gil, CEO of Atlético de Madrid, display the new team kit.

As part of the historic milestone, the Saudi-based airline will be the main sponsor and official airline partner of the club as part of a multiyear agreement. In addition to having Riyadh Air’s presence on the teams kits, the strategic partnership will bring together two entities that share a passion for excellence, innovation and will allow the airline and the club to reach millions of fans around the world.

The new airline, headquartered in Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recently stunned the world by unveiling one of its unique liveries during the Paris Air Show in June 2023. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2025, connecting the Kingdom’s capital to more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030.

As a full service and digitally-native carrier, Riyadh Air will pioneer new technologies and innovations whilst offering guests authentic and warm Saudi hospitality.

Riyadh Air signs deal for 90 GEnx engines to power Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet

Following its recent agreement for a wide-body order of 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, Riyadh Air has signed a deal for 90 GEnx-1B engines to power its new fleet. The order also includes spare engines and a TrueChoice services agreement.

The agreement was signed at the Paris Air Show at the Riyadh Air chalet, where the airline revealed its new livery to the world following a flyby last week over Riyadh’s iconic city skyline.

Riyadh Air was unveiled to the world in March, and this marks the first engine partnership with GE Aerospace for its new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The first deliveries are scheduled for early 2025 as Riyadh Air aims to operate one of the newest and most sustainable airline fleets in the world.

GE Chairman and CEO and GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp (left), and Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas (right), sign agreement at Paris Air Show.

The GEnx engine family has nearly 50 million flight hours since entry into service in 2011 and is the fastest-selling, high-thrust engine in GE history with nearly 3,000 engines in service and on backlog, including spares.

The GEnx-1B powers two out of every three 787 aircraft in service. The engine also provides a 1.4% fuel burn savings for the typical 787 mission compared to its competition, equating to $300,000 per airplane per year in fuel savings. The added fuel savings enables more than 2 million fewer pounds of CO2 per aircraft annually.

Representing a giant step forward in propulsion technology, GEnx uses lightweight, durable materials and advanced design processes to reduce weight, improve performance, and lower maintenance, making it the best engine choice for long-haul flights.

Riyadh Air, the disruptive new airline from Saudi Arabia will fly to more than 100 destinations, and reach 100 million visitors, by 2030 making Riyadh City a hub for global travel and encouraging visits to the Kingdom for business and leisure. The airline will bring a new level of attention to detail to guest experience and has technology that will raise the bar for the industry. The brand identity captures the h

Riyadh Air arrives in Paris for the 54th bi-annual Paris Air Show

Riyadh Air, the new carrier from Saudi Arabia, made this announcement:

A new chapter in travel has arrived on the global stage with the world class, digitally-led airline Riyadh Air, making its international debut at the 54^th bi-annual Paris Air Show. 

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner adorned with Riyadh Air’s unique livery touched down after a stunning fly-over the city of Riyadh for its first official reveal on Monday, June 12.

The disruptive new airline from Saudi Arabiawill fly to more than 100 destinations, and reach 100 million visitors, by 2030 making Riyadh City a hub for global travel and encouraging visits to the Kingdom for business and leisure. The airline will bring a new level of attention to detail to guest experience and has technology that will raise the bar for the industry. The brand identity captures the heritage of the Kingdom whilst being modern and forward thinking with the tagline ‘The Future Takes Flight’.   

The aircraft is on display at the show, allowing visitors to view the unique indigo aircraft livery up close. Its lavender colour is symbolic of the welcoming and hospitable nature of the people in the Kingdom, as well as being a natural plant that carpets Saudi Arabia during spring and the tail design captures the movement of canopy tents in the desert.

Riyadh City is rapidly becoming a major player in global business and the rapid Saudi economic growth, which is targeted to be in the top 15 globally by 2030, is outperforming other major economies. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has many developing tourist sites, such as Al Ula, Diryah, and Qiddiyah, and the national airline will make the Kingdom more accessible whilst positioning Riyadh City as a global leader in aviation excellence.

The airline, which will join the global aviation sector with RX as its Airline Designator Code, is a catalyst for the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the National Tourism Strategy by leveraging the Kingdom’s strategic location connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe.  It is chaired by governor of the Public Investment Fund, His Excellency Yassir Al-Ramayyan with Tony Douglas CEO at the helm.  

Boeing 737-10 and 777-9 will debut at Paris Le Bourget on June 18

Boeing will showcase its market-leading aerospace and defense portfolio at the 2023 Paris Air Show, including highly efficient commercial jets, critical defense platforms, customer-focused services and innovative autonomous technologies.

The 737-10, the largest member of the MAX family, will join the new 777-9 in the show’s flying display, while Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero debuts its all-electric, autonomous 6^th generation air taxi – which the company plans to certify for commercial passenger operations.

With a strong commitment toward a sustainable aerospace industry, Boeing will demonstrate its “Cascade” Climate Impact Model, a data-modeling tool recently made available to the public to provide actionable insights towards the aviation industry’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The company will also debut a new tool that tracks sustainable aviation fuel capacity around the world, and provide an update on delivering 100% SAF-compatible airplanes by 2030.

Below are some of the events and programs Boeing will highlight during the air show.

Commercial Airplanes

The 737-10 and 777-9 will debut at Le Bourget on June 18.

The 737-10 will provide operators with more capacity, greater fuel efficiency and the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane. The 737 MAX family has received more than 3,500 net orders, and its advanced aerodynamic design and highly-efficient engines reduce fuel use and emissions 20% and the noise footprint 50% compared to airplanes it replaces.

Additionally, Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newest carrier, will showcase a Boeing-owned 787-9 in its new indigo livery inspired by the colors of the sky at dusk. The airplane will be on static display throughout the week.