History
On 12 March 2023, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, formally announced the establishment of Riyadh Air, the country's newest national airline in Saudi Arabia.[16][17] Two days later, it was announced that the airline had ordered 39 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with options for 33 more aircraft.[18][19]
Riyadh Air unveiled its first livery on 4 June 2023. The livery was painted on a Boeing 787-9, although this aircraft was owned by Boeing and will not enter the Riyadh Air fleet.[20] On the same day, it received its airline designator code "RX" from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) at the World Air Transport Summit, which took place in Istanbul.[21] On 12 June 2023, Boeing delivered the first aircraft to the airline's fleet.[22] On 14 June 2023, the airline was granted its Passenger Air Transport Economic License by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which is required for the airline to begin commercial operations.[23] On 21 June 2023, at the Paris Air Show, Riyadh Air signed an agreement for 90 GE Aerospace's GEnx-1B engines to power its future fleet of 39 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.[24]
On 9 July 2024, Riyadh Air signed a memorandum of understanding with Delta Air Lines, a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance.[25] Under the terms of the memorandum, the two airlines would establish a basis for future flight codesharing and alignment of the customer service and frequent-flier program experiences.[26]
On 30 October 2024, Riyadh Air confirmed an order of 60 Airbus A321neo.[27]
On 15 January 2025, Riyadh Air received its first Boeing 787-9 aircraft, however it is leased, and it will be used only as a technical spare and training aircraft.[28]
On 6 April 2025, Riyadh Air received approval from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to commence its flight operations.[29]
On 16 June 2025, Riyadh Air announced the order of 25 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the Paris Air Show. The deal also includes purchase rights for an additional 25 of the type.[30]
On 9 October 2024, Riyadh Air announced a partnership with FLYR. FLYR will deliver its Offer and Order retailing platform to power Riyadh Air's commercial operations, making it the world's first native ONE Order network carrier.[31]
On 7 August 2025, Riyadh Air announced a partnership with Amadeus. Amadeus will distribute Riyadh Air’s future NDC (New Distribution Capability) content, allowing for personalized offers and dynamic pricing across third-party platforms.[6]
On 21 January 2026, Riyadh Air announced the establishment of Riyadh Cargo.[32]
