Riyadh Air Boeing 787-9 delivery in Charleston
UPDATE June 8 – Riyadh Air has officially taken delivery of its first two, factory-new Boeing 787-9s on June 4. A third Dreamliner was delivered on June 6. The airline has brought forward its first full-service flights to London Heathrow from July 1 to June 10, CEO Tony Douglas said on June 8 on Dubai Eye 103.8 radio.
One aircraft with registration HZ-RXAA was delivered during a ceremony at the Boeing factory in Charleston, in the presence of Boeing senior management, including Kelly Ortberg and Stephanie Pope, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas and the governor of the Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan. The aircraft departed Charleston for Riyadh at 1.33 pm local time.
The second aircraft with registration HZ-RXAB was delivered from Everett and departed Paine Field at 8.57 am. RXAA landed in Riyadh on Friday at 9.36 am local time, five minutes ahead of RXAB, which was preceding the “AA” when they were both over the Atlantic. In Riyadh, the airline will have an official welcome ceremony for guests and dignitaries.
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After arriving in Riyadh, Tony Douglas commented: “To see our very first custom-built 787 Dreamliner airplanes touch down in Riyadh is a historic moment for us, and a momentous day for Saudi aviation. I couldn’t be more excited or more confident about the future and the legacy we are creating. Not only are we building an airline, we are opening a new gateway to the world from the heart of the Kingdom. We are absolutely ready and excited to welcome the world to Riyadh.”
The third 787-9, HZ-RXAC, was delivered on Saturday, June 6, from Everett and immediately started its delivery flight to Riyadh for arrival on the 7th. The airline has 39 Boeing 787-9s on order plus 33 options, which were placed in March 2023 and only days after PIF officially launched Riyadh Air as a second national airline alongside Saudia. In a carefully crafted PR campaign, the airline revealed its plans and products step by step. The plan was to launch commercial services in the spring of 2025, but this slipped to the summer and was then postponed until 2026.
With a “technical spare” Dreamliner that was leased from Oman Air, Riyadh Air started limited commercial services to London on October 26. Initially, tickets were available to staff only, and the flights were used to familiarise the crew with the aircraft. Later, some tickets were also made available to other customers, but on a limited basis only through approved travel partners.
Bespoke interior
Riyadh Air only wanted to launch commercial services when it would have its own aircraft with a bespoke interior. Offering 290 seats in Business Elite (4) and Business Class (24), Premium Economy (39), and Economy (223), the airline wants to raise the bar with an elevated experience. Business Elite comes close to First Class, with a 1-2-1 arrangement of the Safran Unity seats with a fully flat bed that stretches 78 inches and is 22.5 inches wide. Passengers can enjoy a 32-inch 4K screen, the largest in its class.
Delivery of the first airplanes was delayed again over production issues at Boeing, related to the supply and certification of the premium seats. Another reason was the timing of the deliveries. The start of the 2026 summer season in late March coincided with the war in Iran in the Middle East that had a huge impact on commercial traffic in the Gulf region. While operations continued at Riyadh, the airport came under fire from Iranian rockets in the first week of hostilities.
June 10 full-service launch
On May 19, the airline opened reservations for London Heathrow and announced July 1 as the date of its first full-service flights. As mentioned, this has now been brought forward to June 10. Manchester will go love on July 23. On February 24, it said that it would launch services to Cairo, but this was four days before the hostilities broke out. Once the airline takes delivery of more 787s, it will also launch services to Paris, Madrid, and Dubai (from July).
Douglas said on Dubai Eye 103.8 that his airline will take delivery of another three aircraft in June, two in July and then one a month. “It is all systems go. We take deliveries, we turn around quickly and are straight on. We’re not wasting any time whatsoever.”
In Asia and the Indian subcontinent, Bangkok, Mumbai, Lahore, Islamabad, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur are also on the airline’s list. Amman in Jordan was also mentioned in the initial plans. In Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is a key destination, as it is one of the world’s busiest air routes. Riyadh Air has also applied for routes in the US, but no destinations have been shared. By March next year, the airline wants to serve 22 destinations and 100 by 2030.
At last year’s Paris Airshow, Riyadh Air placed an order for 25 Airbus A350-1000s plus 25 options and another 25 purchase rights. In October 2024, the carrier ordered 60 A321neos and selected the CFM LEAP-1A as the engine at the Paris Airshow. First deliveries are due before the end of this year. Including the Boeing order, Riyadh Air has 182 aircraft on order.
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