Riyadh Air, the new premium international airline based in Saudi Arabia, has placed a firm order for 60 A321neo family aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) eighth edition conference in Riyadh, marking a significant milestone for Riyadh Air.
“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 Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.
“This deal strongly reinforces the positive economic impact of Saudi Arabia’s newest airline on both a global and local scale to facilitate the fast-growing Saudi aviation ecosystem,” he added.
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The signing ceremony was attended by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chairman of Riyadh Air; Tony Douglas; Christian Scherer, CEO, Commercial Aircraft at Airbus; and Benoit de Saint-Exupery, executive vice president sales of the Commercial Aircraft business.
Enhancing efficiency
“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 decarbonization goals and comfort to its passengers. We look forward to working together to support the strong ambitions of Saudi aviation,” said Scherer.
The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ best-selling A320neo Family, offering unparalleled range and performance. By incorporating new generation engines and Sharklets, the A321neo brings a 50 percent noise reduction and more than 20 percent fuel savings and carbon dioxide reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximizing passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky.
To date more than 6,700 A321neo have been ordered by more than 90 customers globally.
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Partnership with Boeing
Earlier this year, the airline announced a collaboration with Boeing to adopt an array of advanced digital solutions. Designed to streamline operations, reduce maintenance costs, and improve overall flight performance, the cutting-edge technology will help enable Riyadh Air as they prepare for their inaugural flight in 2025.
The agreements covered airplane health management, toolbox tasks and toolbox library, electronic flight bag and electronic flight folder.
Riyadh Air currently has 72 Boeing 787s on order with plans to grow its fleet by 2030.
Riyadh Air also has a five-year agreement with GE Aerospace for the adoption of its suite of flight operations software solutions: Safety Insight, Fuel Insight, and FlightPulse. This partnership will equip the new Saudi Arabian airline with data-driven analytics to optimize fuel consumption, enhance safety measures, and fortify its sustainability initiatives.
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