Saudi Carrier Riyadh Air Eyes New Widebody Orders Next Week

Riyadh Air is preparing new Airbus and Boeing aircraft orders after beginning full-scale operations this month. The deal would widen its Saudi fleet buildout.

The state-owned carrier is working to firm up options for about six Airbus A350-1000 widebody jets and roughly 30 Boeing aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter. The people said the airline plans to announce the agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow outside London next week.

Options move after launch delays

Riyadh Air, Airbus and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving the prospective order unconfirmed by the companies. The available information does not include a contract value, delivery schedule or the aircraft types covered by the Boeing portion.

The timing matters because Riyadh Air’s launch came later than first planned. The carrier had been expected to begin operations in early 2025, but Boeing delays and certification lags at the US Federal Aviation Administration held up the start.

Seven 787s open network

Riyadh Air began full-scale operations this month with seven 787 aircraft in its fleet. It now serves nine cities, including Dubai and London, giving the startup an initial international network before its next fleet expansion phase.

The airline already has a large order book for a carrier at the beginning of commercial service. In 2023, it bought 39 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with options for 33 more, along with more than 60 Airbus A321 narrowbodies and 25 A350s, plus purchasing rights for another 25 A350s.

Saudi fleet plan widens

If the A350-1000 options are converted into firm orders, Airbus would gain a deeper role in Riyadh Air’s long-haul fleet. The potential Boeing order would also extend the carrier’s relationship with the US manufacturer, though the models under discussion have not been disclosed.

The narrowbody side of the plan is also moving. Riyadh Air is set to add Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet later this year, giving it another tool for shorter routes while widebody aircraft support higher-capacity international flying.

Farnborough deal remains private

For the aircraft sector, the possible Farnborough announcement would be watched less for surprise and more for confirmation. Riyadh Air has already signaled an ambition to scale quickly, but delivery constraints and certification timing have shaped how fast that ambition can become operating capacity.

The order would also fit Saudi Arabia’s effort to build a larger aviation platform around a sovereign wealth fund-backed carrier. For the global economy, the direct effect depends on delivery timing: confirmed aircraft orders support aerospace production plans, but delayed handovers postpone the spending, jobs and route capacity attached to them.

If the Farnborough announcement proceeds as described, the macro effect would be incremental support for cross-border aircraft manufacturing and Saudi transport investment. Riyadh Air would gain more route and capacity options, while Airbus and Boeing would add pressure to already contested widebody and narrowbody delivery pipelines.

If the agreement slips or arrives in a smaller form, the global impact would be limited in the near term because production and deliveries would not immediately change. Riyadh Air would remain more dependent on its existing seven-aircraft fleet and earlier orders, while the wider airline sector would get another reminder that supply chains and certification processes can dictate launch timetables as much as capital spending does.

The open questions are concrete: whether the Boeing aircraft are new commitments or linked to existing options, when the additional jets could arrive, and how quickly regulators clear future fleet additions. Until the companies confirm terms, the planned order is best read as a signal of Riyadh Air’s growth intent rather than a completed expansion of available seats.