Riyadh Air facts for kids
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| Founded | 12 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 2025 (planned) |
| Hubs | King Khalid International Airport |
| Destinations | 0 |
| Parent company | Public Investment Fund |
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Key people | |
Riyadh Air (Arabic: طيران الرياض) is a brand new airline from Saudi Arabia. It is planned to be the country's second main airline, also known as a flag carrier. This means it will represent Saudi Arabia in the skies.
The airline will be based in Riyadh, the capital city. Its main airport, called a hub, will be King Khalid International Airport. From here, Riyadh Air plans to fly to more than 100 places around the world. This includes flights within Saudi Arabia and to other countries across six continents. The planes they will use are Boeing 787 aircraft.
Riyadh Air plans to start its first flights in 2025.
The airline is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). This is a large fund that invests money for the country. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who leads the PIF, is also the chairman of Riyadh Air. Tony Douglas is the CEO, or chief executive officer. He used to be the CEO of another airline called Etihad Airways. Riyadh Air is expected to help Saudi Arabia's economy grow. It is also expected to create over 200,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly.
How Riyadh Air Started
On March 12, 2023, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, officially announced that Riyadh Air was being created. Just two days later, the airline announced a big order. They ordered 39 Boeing 787-9 airplanes. They also have the option to buy 33 more planes later.
On June 4, 2023, Riyadh Air showed off the special paint design, called a livery, for its planes. This design was put on their first Boeing 787-9 aircraft. On the same day, they received their special airline code "RX" from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This happened at a big meeting in Istanbul.
Just a few days later, on June 12, 2023, Boeing delivered the first plane to Riyadh Air. Then, on June 14, 2023, the airline got a special license. This license, from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), is needed for them to start flying passengers.
On June 21, 2023, at the Paris Air Show, Riyadh Air made another important deal. They signed an agreement for 90 GE Aerospace's GEnx-1B engines. These engines will power their future fleet of 39 Boeing 787-9 planes.
In August 2023, Riyadh Air became the main sponsor for the Spanish soccer club Atlético de Madrid. Their logo is now on the team's shirts.
Riyadh Air Fleet
Riyadh Air is building its fleet of airplanes. Here's what they have planned:
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 787-9 | — | 39 | TBA | Order with 33 options. |
| Total | — | 39 | ||
More to Explore
- List of airlines of Saudi Arabia
- List of Saudi Vision 2030 Projects
