Riyadh Air welcomes 1st aircraft
On 13 January 2025, Riyadh Air welcomed its first aircraft. The aircraft, Boeing B787-9 HZ-RXX (38892) is leased from Oman Air and arrived from Muscat at Riyadh. It features the so-called "Splendid Pearl"-livery, a lighter version of the dark livery it showcased on B787-9 N8572C (66877), an aircraft used solely as a flying billboard to introduce the brand.
The newly delivered Dreamliner will initially be used by the airline to finalize its Air Operator's Certificate application process and crew training. Later this year, it will be used as a technical spare to safeguard smooth operations.
Riyadh Air is established by the government as the second national airline. It will operate separately from Saudia and will be based at Riyadh. It currently has a firm order with Boeing for 39 B787-9s with options on another 33. With Airbus, it has a firm order for 60 A321neos. Delivery of a first new B787-9 is scheduled for this year, while the first A321neo is planned for 2026.
Photo by Riyadh Air.