Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Despite ongoing global delays in aircraft manufacturing, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas expressed strong confidence in the airline’s readiness for its first commercial flights by the end of 2025.

Speaking on Al Arabiya English’s business program The Riyal Deal, Douglas acknowledged the industry’s production challenges but emphasized that Riyadh Air is making concrete progress.

“It goes without saying, as a startup we are beholden on Boeing to deliver on time — and that’s of course easier said than done,” Douglas said.

“Both Boeing and Airbus have had a number of challenges with their supply chain, and there have been revisions last year to their delivery commitments.”

However, Douglas was optimistic. “The reason why we’ve now revealed the cabin proposition is because our aircraft are now running down the production lines in South Carolina, in Charleston, which is where Boeing assembles the 787 Dreamliner,” he explained.

“The fact that we can go and physically stand inside fuselages, our seat manufacturers are now producing — I can go and sit in those seats — is what gives us confidence we’re in the home straight.”

Douglas reiterated Riyadh Air’s aggressive fleet ambitions, confirming that the airline’s order book includes 72 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 60 Airbus A320 Neos, with a third widebody aircraft set to be announced this summer. “That’s a total of 132 aircraft,” he noted.

“We’ll be a three-horse stable, so to speak—320s, Dreamliners, and an extra widebody aircraft yet to be revealed.”

The CEO added that Riyadh Air’s cabin interiors and service proposition are being built to rival the best in the industry, with innovations such as Business Elite suites inspired by Bedouin tents, 32-inch 4K OLED screens, and Euphony audio systems embedded in the headrests.

With aircraft now in production and ticket sales set to launch this summer, Douglas said the airline is on track to begin flying by the end of 2025.

“We're likely to operate from capital cities, let’s say in northwestern Europe, into Riyadh—and then a turnaround on a shorter sector,” he said, noting demand for regional connections to cities such as Jeddah and Dubai.

“We’ve been nearly three years in the making up to now, and by the end of this year, we want to be up in the skies,” he said.