Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, has placed a firm order for 60 Airbus A321neo single-aisle aircraft, increasing its backlog fleet to over 100 planes ahead of its maiden flight next year. Without revealing the financial details, the country’s second flag carrier hailed the agreement as a “multibillion-dollar deal [that] positions the airline for efficient flight operations by having an optimal fleet mix to fulfil its network ambitions of 100 destinations by 2030”.
“This order will not only enable us to support economic growth in the aviation industry, it will also ensure Riyadh Air operates one of the most sustainable fleets in the industry and be instrumental in helping Saudi Arabia achieve its net-zero emissions goals. This deal strongly reinforces the positive economic impact of Saudi Arabia’s newest airline on both a global and local scale and helps facilitate the fast-growing local aviation ecosystem”, said Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.
The agreement was signed at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, marking a significant milestone for Riyadh Air. The signing ceremony was attended by His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Chairman of Riyadh Air, Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business.

“We are proud to welcome Riyadh Air as a new Airbus customer and to be a part of its exciting journey. The latest generation A321neo aircraft will bring exceptional efficiency to the airline’s operations and comfort to its passengers. We look forward to working together to support the incredible growth of Saudi aviation”, Scherer commented on the deal.
The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ best-selling A320neo Family, which the manufacturer says offers unparalleled range and performance. By incorporating new generation engines and Sharklets, the A321neo claims a 50% noise reduction and more than 20% fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximising passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky.
“We are pleased to embark on another key milestone in Riyadh Air’s journey with the carrier’s second major fleet order, this time in partnership with Airbus. This deal underlines the airline’s ambitious intentions in advance of next year’s launch as it builds a comprehensive international network and establishes Riyadh as a major strategic global aviation hub”, added Al-Rumayyan.
In March, the airline placed another “multibillion-dollar” order with competitor Boeing. The agreement confirmed 39 787-9 Dreamliners and options for an additional 33. Compared to the A321neo, the B787 are widebody aircraft. While Riyadh Air has not provided any reasoning for choosing to add Airbus among its fleet, it is worth noting that Boeing’s most popular single aisle model is the 737 Max, which has been at the forefront of a series of investigations into Boeing’s manufacturing quality since a panel fell off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight in January.