Saudia Arabia announces large B787-orders

On 14 March 2023, Boeing announced it has signed two large orders for B787s. The first order is for Saudia which signed-up for 39 Dreamliners, which will be made up by B787-9s and B787-10s. It also includes options for another ten aircraft. The airline is already operating thirteen B787-9s and five B787-10s.

The second order is for the new, officially launched on 13 March 2023, second national airline Riyadh Air. In total, a firm order for 39 B787-9s has been placed, with options on another 33 B787-9s.

The large order with Boeing is part of Saudi Arabia's plan to transform the country into a global aviation hub, competing head-to-head with airlines like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. The country aims to serve 330 million passengers and 100 million visitors to the Kingdom annually by 2030.

Last October, it was reported by Reuters that the country was leaning towards 40 Airbus A350-900s for its new second national airline but this deal never materialized and now seems to be replaced by this new Dreamliner-order.

Illustration by Boeing.