Riyadh Air, a burgeoning Saudi Arabian airline, made a splash at the Paris Air Show 2025 with its announcement of an order for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s. This move was widely anticipated and seen as a significant step for the airline, which is gearing up to commence commercial operations later this year.

Tony Douglas, the CEO of Riyadh Air, emphasized that this order was an "important statement of intent" for the airline's future plans. The deal includes 25 firm orders with the option for an additional 25 aircraft, supplementing Riyadh Air's existing order of 132 aircraft. The agreement was officially sealed at a ceremony held at Paris Le Bourget (LBG) on June 16, 2025, with top executives from both Riyadh Air and Airbus, including Chiefs Financial Officer Adam Boukadida and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales of Commercial Aircraft Business at Airbus in attendance.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of Riyadh Air, alongside Tony Douglas and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, were also present at the ceremony. The airline's decision to opt for the Airbus A350-1000 was driven by the aim to streamline its fleet, enhance operational efficiency, and expand its scope to over 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.

Douglas expressed confidence in Riyadh Air's progress by stating, "Already in 2025, we have received our AOC and unveiled our new cabin interiors and having now completed our initial three aircraft orders, we are in a position to fulfill our ambitious network goals." He further highlighted the airline's commitment to catalyzing the Saudi aviation sector by creating jobs and contributing to the non-oil GDP of the Kingdom.

Airbus' Scherer hailed the collaboration with Riyadh Air, characterizing it as an "honor" to support the airline's vision for the A350-1000. He underscored the aircraft's capabilities in delivering a premium passenger experience and operational excellence, aligning perfectly with the goals of Vision 2030. Notably, the A350 can already operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with Airbus aiming to transition towards 100% SAF-capable aircraft by 2030.

In addition to the A350-1000, Riyadh Air has a hefty order book that includes Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A321neos, totaling up to 182 aircraft on order. As the industry buzzes with excitement at the Paris Air Show 2025, Pilotcenter.net News is on the ground covering all the latest developments and headline-grabbing stories from this prestigious event.