London: After purchasing dozens of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the Saudi startup Riyadh Air is making a comeback to the jet market. According to its CEO, the company hopes to sign a new agreement involving the biggest twin-aisle jets on the market early next year. CEO Tony Douglas told Reuters that the nation’s newest national airline is considering the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350-1000 and plans to make a selection in the first or second quarter of 2025.
As part of a larger agreement that also involved Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Riyadh Air placed an order for 39 Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft last year with options for an additional 33. Last week, the airline also placed a definitive order for 60 Airbus A321neo-family aircraft. Douglas reaffirmed that the airline, which is scheduled to begin operations next year, eventually expected to operate more than 200 aircraft, but he declined to comment on the magnitude of the new order. In a separate interview with Reuters last week, Douglas stated that Riyadh Air would begin formal negotiations within two months for a fresh order for large wide-body aircraft.
The popular single-aisle A321neo, which has about 200 seats, rivals the larger Boeing 737 MAX models. According to Airbus, it will be sold out for the remainder of the decade. Douglas hinted at additional purchases and stated that the A321neos will be delivered between the second half of 2026 and the end of 2030, despite the lengthy lead periods for the majority of fresh purchases.
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