Riyadh Air in talks to buy 50 more widebody aircraft

Riyadh Air in talks to buy 50 more widebody aircraft

Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh Air, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is in talks with US and European planemakers for 50 additional widebody aircraft, according to a news report.

The airline is evaluating the Airbus 350-1000 and Boeing 777X models, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed informed sources.

The carrier is eager to secure delivery slots, which are becoming increasingly scarce, they said.

Riyadh Air has already placed orders for 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft and 39 Boeing 787s.

Last month, the airline was forced to push back its launch date to the third quarter of 2025 after delays to Boeing deliveries. It was scheduled to start flying early this year.

The delay is a blow to Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions to attract 150 million visits a year.

Riyadh Air was founded to increase the kingdom’s air traffic capacity and upgrade the services offered for travellers.

It has yet to announce its initial routes, but consultant John Grant from Midas Aviation has suggested they could include flights to Jeddah, Dubai, Cairo, Kuwait, Istanbul, Bahrain, Milan and Nice.

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Liyana Parker

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