In numbers: Riyadh Air marks first anniversary, see key milestones

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Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air marked its first anniversary, following its launch on March 12 last year.

The airline has been busy working towards its target to take to the skies in 2025.

The airline’s CEO Tony Douglas said that 2023 was a significant year and “we’re immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in the last 12 months as we celebrate our first anniversary – but we’re only just getting started. This year is set to be an even bigger one for us and we can’t wait to reveal more as we continue to accelerate towards our maiden flight in 2025, as we become the most forward-thinking carrier in the skies”.

The carrier will play a key role in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s overall economic diversification and is aligned with the kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy and National Tourism Strategy and Vision 2030.

One year. 100s of extraordinary moments.#RiyadhAir #HappyAnniversaryRiyadhAir pic.twitter.com/12YQuskzp7

— Riyadh Air (@RiyadhAir) March 13, 2024

In numbers: key highlights of the carrier’s first year

• Riyadh Air, which is set to fly to 100 countries by 2030, has had a busy year, signing major agreements and partnerships with partners, both in Saudi Arabia and around the world.
• In 2023, Riyadh Air unveiled two permanent dual-livery designs to the world: The first was unveiled in June in Riyadh before it debuted at the Paris Airshow, and the second was revealed at the Dubai Airshow in November.
• Riyadh Air received over one million online applications from over 100 countries following recruitment roadshows held across London, Paris, Dubai and Riyadh.
• In 2023, the carrier placed a major aircraft order for Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. It also inked an agreement for 90 GEnx engines to boost its Boeing 787 fleet.

Riyadh Air: Marking several firsts

1. The airline was integrated into the global aviation ecosystem with the ‘RX’ code.

2. Riyadh Air signed key agreements including strategic cooperation MoUs with Saudia. The strategic deal heralds the foundation for further cooperation in the future

3. The carrier partnered with Turkish Airlines, its first major agreement outside Saudi Arabia, to provide benefits for guests travelling between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

4. The carrier inked a first-of-a-kind partnership with Lucid Motors. The collaboration targets co-marketing, commercial and operational initiatives.

5. Riyadh Air has inked key agreements with Lufthansa Systems, IBM Consulting, Swiss AS, CAE, Microsoft, Oracle, Sabre and Accenture. These partnerships are geared to ensure Riyadh Air’s technical readiness for its first flight in 2025.

6. It has also partnered with tech giants Adobe and IBM.

7. Riyadh Air signed its first multi-year partnership with Spanish football club, Atlético de Madrid naming the airline as its main and official airline partner.