Riyadh Air (RXI, Riyadh) has ordered sixty A321-200neo ahead of its stated launch in the first half of 2025. The Saudi start-up and Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) both confirmed the deal on October 30 following a signing ceremony in Riyadh. The narrowbody commitment was first alluded to earlier this year.
The state-backed start-up did not disclose any details about aircraft options or delivery dates. Riyadh Air did not immediately respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.
The Airbus contract follows Riyadh Air's firm order with Boeing (BOE, Washington National) in March 2023 for thirty-nine B787-9s along with options for a further 33. The start-up's CFO, Adam Boukadida, told local media outlet Al Arabiya in June that Riyadh Air had since committed to receiving seventy-two B787s with delivery expected to begin in 2025 and continue until 2029.
Riyadh Air previously said it was on track to launching revenue flights in the first half of 2025. It hopes to secure its AOC by year-end, CEO Tony Douglas said during the Routes World 2024 conference in Bahrain.
The prospective carrier will operate out of its single base at Riyadh, with a fleet comprising a maximum of two types to reduce costs and complexity. It will focus on inbound leisure and VFR traffic, as well as connecting traffic via the Saudi capital. It is owned by the sovereign Public Investment Fund, which also controls Saudia (SV, Jeddah International).
