RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air is gearing up to introduce a new international destination every two months once it begins operations, as the carrier prepares to receive its first Boeing 787 aircraft.
Riyadh Air, fully owned by the Public Investment Fund, is awaiting delivery of its initial aircraft to commence services, according to CEO Tony Douglas.
Speaking to Bloomberg, he said the airline requires two jets to initiate a round-trip route to each new destination, adding that Saudi carrier aims to connect to 100 cities by 2030 as part of its long-term growth strategy.
This aligns with the Kingdom’s National Aviation Strategy, which targets doubling passenger capacity to 330 million annually from over 250 global destinations and increasing cargo handling to 4.5 million tonnes by 2030.
The carrier currently has four Boeing 787 Dreamliners in different stages of assembly at Boeing’s facility in Charleston, South Carolina. Operations are expected to begin once the first two aircraft have been delivered.
