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| Founded | 12 March 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 2025 (planned) | ||||||
| Hubs | King Khalid International Airport | ||||||
| Parent company | Public Investment Fund | ||||||
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||||||
| Key people | |||||||
| Founder | Mohammed bin Salman | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Riyadh Air (Arabic: طيران الرياض) is the second flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Riyadh.[3][4] The airline's main hub will be at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and will operate domestic and international scheduled flights to over 100 destinations in the Middle East and six continents. The fleet will consist of Airbus A321neo & Boeing 787 aircraft.[5]
As of 2024, the airline is planning to operate its first commercial flights in 2025.[6] It has cooperation agreements with SkyTeam members Delta Air Lines,[7] China Eastern Airlines[8] and Saudia,[9] and Star Alliance members Turkish Airlines,[10] Singapore Airlines,[11]Air China,[12] and Egyptair,[13] respectively.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Riyadh Air will be owned by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF, serving as its chairman. Tony Douglas was appointed as its CEO. He previously served as the CEO of UAE airline Etihad Airways from January 2018 until October 2022.[14] Riyadh Air is expected to add $20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- ^ PIF, Riyadh Air, established by. "Riyadh Air Joins the Global Aviation Ecosystem With Unique Airline Code "RX"". Riyadh Air. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bhoyrul, Anil; Amlot, Matthew (23 September 2022). "Etihad's Tony Douglas agrees to join new Saudi airline RIA". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Bhoyrul, Anil (1 September 2022). "Exclusive: Saudi Arabia to launch new airline 'RIA' with $30bn war chest to rival Emirates". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024.
- ^ "HRH Crown Prince Announces "Riyadh Air"". Saudi Press Agency. 12 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024.
- ^ Schlappig, Ben (14 March 2023). "Startup Riyadh Air Orders Up To 72 Boeing 787s". One Mile at a Time. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Riyadh Air to launch first commercial flight in 2025: CEO".
- ^ "Delta, Riyadh Air sign strategic agreement to expand connectivity and premium travel options across North America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond". Delta News Hub. Delta Air Lines. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Riyadh Air and China Eastern Airlines Sign MoU at IATA AGM in Dubai, Fostering Mutually Beneficial Connectivity and Digital Innovation". www.riyadhair.com. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ "Saudia and Riyadh Air sign a Strategic Cooperation MoU as part of an expansive agreement signifying collaborative strength in the Saudi Arabian Aviation Ecosystem". www.riyadhair.com. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ Godinho, Varun (2023-12-06). "Riyadh Air signs cooperation agreement with Turkish Airlines". Business Traveller. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ PIF, Riyadh Air, established by. "Riyadh Air and Singapore Airlines Sign Strategic Agreement to Establish Commercial Partnership". Riyadh Air. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Varley, Len (2024-06-06). "Riyadh Air and Air China Strengthen Ties With New Agreement". AviationSource News. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ "Riyadh Air and Egyptair in deal to bolster connectivity". Egypt Air Show 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "Saudi Crown Prince announces new national airline". Khaleej Times. 12 March 2023. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2023.