RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air has ordered 120 CFM International LEAP-1A engines to power the 60 Airbus A321neo family aircraft it purchased last year.
The airline said the new A321neo fleet will be equipped with CFM’s fuel-efficient LEAP-1A engines, which feature a high-pressure turbine durability kit designed to extend engine life in hot operating environments such as the Middle East, according to a press release.
The order supports the Kingdom’s targets to handle 330 million passengers annually across 250 destinations by the end of the decade, and transport 4.5 million tonnes of cargo.
It also follows a strong year for the aviation sector in 2024, when passenger numbers hit 94 million — a 15 percent year-on-year increase — alongside a 10 percent rise in flight activity and a 52 percent jump in air cargo to nearly 1 million tonnes.
Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer of Riyadh Air, said: “We are excited to partner with CFM, the world’s leading supplier of engines for narrowbody aircraft, as we open a new chapter in our company’s history.”
