riyadh a321
Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, announced it ordered 60 Airbus A321 family jets as it prepares to start operations in 2025.
This deal means the airline now has 132 aircraft on order. Last year, the airline ordered 39 787s with options. Riyadh Air Chief Executive Tony Douglas told Reuters that the airline planned to start talks with Airbus and Boeing within two months to order A350-1000 or 777X.
Riyadh Air should take delivery of its first A321 in 2H26 and the remainder in 2030. This rapid delivery schedule hints at some special arrangements, perhaps with lessors. Douglas says the airline has yet to decide on the variants it wants.
The selection of the A321neo should not be surprising. It is likely a function of MAX deliveries being more uncertain than the A321. Riyadh Air is undoubtedly not “anti-Boeing” with its substantial 787 fleet. Last year, there was talk of an order for 50+50 MAX at the Dubai show. As a startup, the airline needs to de-risk as much as possible. It is ambitious, with plans to serve 100 markets. To enter these markets, it must be reliable and meet its schedule.
However, with Airbus lacking delivery slots through 2029, the selection of the A321neo is intriguing. As mentioned above, some deals must have been worked through. How the selection came down leads one to ask how tradeoffs on the A350-1000 and 777X will go. The A350 is well established, and Airbus has the industrialization of this model sorted. The weak link for Airbus is the supply chain, but with Boeing’s strike and MAX hiccups, a lot of the supply chain has favored Airbus. Moreover, the 777X has yet to be certified, which has been pushed out to 2026. However, this timeline might not impact Riyadh’s plans.
In selecting the A321neo, Riyadh Air follows its industry peers and well-established brands. The story isn’t the chosen model; it’s the delivery dates.
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