Riyadh Air Waited Years for New Planes. Now Six Have Arrived in 30 Days

Riyadh Air has taken delivery of six widebody aircraft in the space of 30 days as the Saudi startup races to absorb nearly a year’s worth of Boeing deliveries in a matter of weeks.

CEO Tony Douglas said all six Boeing 787s are now in service, adding that the airline is due to accept another pair of jets in the next two weeks.

Douglas, speaking at the Airline Leaders Summit on the sidelines of the Farnborough Airshow, believes only a handful of airlines had historically taken more than six widebody aircraft in a single month, and that Riyadh Air is the first startup carrier to do so.

The pace reverses months of delay, with the airline’s launch timeline repeatedly pushed back by supply chain and cabin certification problems.

From Famine to Feast

Douglas, speaking at the Farnborough airshow on july 20.credit: Farnb