Summary
- Riyadh Air should finalize its narrowbody order with either Airbus or Boeing within weeks.
- The airline’s executive noted that discussions are ongoing with both aircraft manufacturers.
- So far, Riyadh Air has only ordered the Boeing 787-9 for its scheduled start of operations in 2025.
Riyadh Air, the Saudi Arabian airline that is scheduled to start operations in 2025, is nearing an order for narrowbody from either Airbus or Boeing, with the airline’s executive only saying that discussions were ongoing with both manufacturers.
Done within the coming weeks
According to Vincent Coste, the chief commercial officer (CCO) of Riyadh Air, the airline’s order for narrowbody jets should be done within the next weeks, as reported by Reuters. However, Coste emphasized that the carrier was in no rush to announce the order, with the executive refusing to detail whether the airline would trust either Airbus or Boeing to produce its narrowbody aircraft.
Photo: Riyadh Air
Coste, who has worked at Air France, Air France-KLM, Qatar Airways, Kenya Airways, and Gulf Air before landing his latest role at Riyadh Air in July 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile, the Saudi airline should start selling tickets in January ahead of its launch in June 2025.
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Boeing 787 fleet
So far, Riyadh Air has only ordered a batch of Boeing 787 aircraft. In March 2023, shortly after the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), the country’s sovereign wealth fund spearheaded by Mohammed bin Salman, announced the launch of the airline, Riyadh Air ordered 72 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, split between 39 firm orders and 33 options.
On the same day, SAUDIA, another Saudi Arabian airline, announced an order for up to 49 Boeing 787 aircraft, with the deal involving 39 firm orders and ten options for 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft. Eventually, Riyadh Air disclosed that its first Boeing 787 aircraft should arrive in 2025 ahead of its launch later in the year.
Photo: Riyadh Air
However, the airline has already unveiled two liveries with two different Boeing 787-9 aircraft, namely an all-white livery with blue and lavender accents and a striking paintjob that covers the whole fuselage with a dark lavender color.
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Complicated delivery schedule
Whichever way Riyadh Air’s pendulum will swing, the delivery schedule could be complicated for the Saudi Arabian airline, considering that both Airbus and Boeing have sold out delivery slots for years to come due to the high demand for their single-aisle jets.
While one option could be going for delivery slots held by aircraft lessor, the problem is compounded by the fact that both manufacturers are still struggling with supply chain issues, which weigh down their ability to hand over aircraft on time.
Photo: Skycolors | Shutterstock
For Boeing, the Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 incident in January has only made the issue worse, with the manufacturer voluntarily lowering its production volume to address the safety and quality issues at its assembly sites. Furthermore, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said that until it was satisfied with the manufacturer’s improvements in both aspects, it would be unable to raise production rates beyond the current approved monthly rate for the 737 MAX, namely 38 per month.
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