Introduction
Riyadh Air is a Saudi Arabian based airline that was founded in 2023 by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.
The airline will be operating from the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh offering both domestic and international flights.
Related: King Salman International Airport – The World’s Biggest in the Making
The airline aims at focusing on providing luxurious experiences to its customers as well as being an international brand as was evident in their reveal of their cabin crew uniform that was done during the Haute Couture Week in Paris.
Their livery is also something that shouts premium.
Who Owns Riyadh Air?
The airline is seen as a startup but reports suggest that it is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF, serving as its chairman.
Tony Douglas, the former CEO of Etihad Airways, is the current CEO and the spearheader of most of the airline’s bold initiatives.
One of the reasons why the airline was started was to complement the existing state courier, Saudia. Saudi Arabia is on a mission to position itself as a global hub for both business and tourism and accessibility is key to achieve this.
If you look at some of the projects that Saudi Arabia is undertaking such as NEOM, the $500 Billion mega city powered by renewable energy, you can see a pattern of the state wanting to attract more people to live, visit or transit through Saudi Arabia.
The airline will also be a key player in the upcoming World Cup that is being held in the oil rich state in 2034.
When Will They Commence Commercial Flights?
Commercial flights are scheduled to commence in the summer of 2025 starting with regional flights and soon after expand to other destinations across the globe.
Riyadh Air has already ordered 60 Airbus A321 Neos and about 40 Boeing 787s.
Who Will it be Competing With?
The airline will not only be competing with its sister airline Saudia but also UAE based airlines such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar.
Arab couriers have over the past decade dominated the aviation industry and it seems that stronghold is about to get stronger. Airlines such as Etihad have been increasing destinations it flies to in a bid to lure passengers from the other well established airlines.
