Riyadh Air joins United Nations Global Compact with the intention to incorporate United Nations Sustainability Goals across its operations

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new world-class airline, has this week announced it has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative that promotes responsible business practices and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a letter to António Guterres UN Secretary General, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas officially committed Riyadh Air to implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. As active participants of the UNGC, Riyadh Air will adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies in areas such as human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption and report on progress on these efforts regularly.

As part of its aim to support the advancement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) working alongside partners and stakeholders to drive progress towards these goals by 2030. Riyadh Air will also publish its first Sustainability Report in advance of its maiden in mid-2025.

Tony Douglas CEO Riyadh Air said, "At Riyadh Air, we are conscious of our environmental impact and committed to actively contributing to the Kingdom's sustainability goals, adopting world-class practices and leading our industry in integrating ESG into every area of our business."

Riyadh Air and IBM move forward in their collaboration to redefine travel experiences

IBM announced this week, the next steps in their collaboration with Riyadh Air, the digital-native airline currently scheduled to commence operations in early 2025, to revolutionize the airline's travel experiences. The airline plans to introduce next-generation, channel-fluid guest and traveller interactions, tapping into IBM Consulting's open ecosystem of business partners and deep industry expertise spanning strategy, experience design, technology and operations.

IBM hosted a signing ceremony, announcing the collaboration at the 3rd edition of LEAP 2024, the international technology conference held annually in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; in the presence of Tony Douglas (Chief Executive Officer, Riyadh Air) and Arvind Krishna (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, IBM) and executive management from both entities.

"We're on a mission to shape the future of air travel at Riyadh Air," said Tony Douglas, CEO at Riyadh Air. "By teaming up with IBM, we're pushing the boundaries of innovation to create a transformed passenger experience that is more seamless, personalized and sustainable. From AI-powered check-in systems to immersive in-flight entertainment, we're leveraging the latest technologies to make air travel more enjoyable and accessible for everyone."

Committed to delivering unique, intelligent and hyper-personalized guest journeys, Riyadh Air will harness IBM Consulting's expertise across generative AI, experience orchestration, marketing and customer engagement platforms, mobile, web and in-flight applications. All of these capabilities will be accelerated through the proven, collaborative engagement model of IBM Garage, to help craft guest experiences that are culturally enriching across the travel journey, on the ground or in the air.

Riyadh Air Partners with Adobe to Deliver Personalized Global Travel Experiences, Powered by Generative AI

                              Riyadh Air and Adobe announced a strategic technology partnership. As Saudi Arabia's new world-class airline, Riyadh Air will integrate with a broad range of travel partners, both in the Kingdom and globally, allowing guests to manage their entire travel experience through its digital properties. As the lead systems integrator, IBM Consulting will employ Adobe's Experience Cloud technologies to create a cohesive and tailored travel journey for Riyadh Air guests.

With plans to carry its first passengers in 2025, Riyadh Air aims to connect the Kingdom to more than 100 destinations around the world, supporting both the National Aviation Strategy's and National Tourism Strategy ambitions to bring 330 million annual visitors to the Kingdom by 2030. 

"We're on a mission to shape the future of travel and meet guest's expectations of their travel experience," said Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer at Riyadh Air.  "Through our strategic partnership with Adobe, we will be able to create incredible, personalized experiences for our guests at every stage and every moment of their journey, from planning their trips towards booking and boarding their flight and towards the arrival destination across the world."

"As a new digitally native airline, Riyadh Air has an opportunity to push the boundaries of what's possible when it comes to delivering personalized, real-time digital experiences for air travelers," said Anil Chakravarthy, president, Digital Experience Business at Adobe.  "The airline's vision, combined with the power of Experience Cloud and generative AI, holds the promise of setting entirely new standards for digital experiences in the travel industry and beyond."

Turkish Airlines and Riyadh Air agree strategic cooperation deal

Turkish Airlines and Riyadh Air have agreed to offer a comprehensive range of benefits for guests travelling between the Kingdom, Türkiye and points beyond their Riyadh and Istanbul hubs, as well as lay the ground for deeper future collaborations. Passengers of both airlines will be able to take full advantage of each carrier's worldwide network through a comprehensive interline and codeshare agreement that will allow customers to seamlessly connect between and combine sectors operated by either Riyadh Air or Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Technology Officer, Levent Konukcu and Riyadh Air CEO, Tony Douglas, signed the agreement at a ceremony on the sidelines of the ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN 2023) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The intention of both carriers is that benefits will be made available to guests as soon as possible after Riyadh Air launches operations in mid-2025 and is subject to regulatory approvals by relevant authorities.

The cooperation will allow members of each carrier's loyalty program to earn points or credits when travelling on codeshare services operated by the other, with both airlines also exploring opportunities to develop a broader loyalty agreement covering both global networks. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of guest benefits, the MoU also commits Riyadh Air and Turkish Airlines to work together to explore and implement broader synergies and efficiencies across the value chain, touching areas such as aviation-related services, cargo and digital development.

Riyadh Air unveils the second of its permanent dual-livery designs at Dubai Airshow

The next chapter for the skies has arrived as Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new world-class airline wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) set to take off in 2025, unveiled the second of its permanent dual-livery designs at the Dubai Airshow 2023.

The latest livery continues Riyadh Air's indigo theme with striking lines inspired by the twisting canopies of traditional Bedouin tents and elegant curves of Arabic calligraphy. The bold new look features a sweeping cockpit window design, with the indigo signature theme contrasted beautifully against a light unique iridescent fuselage that reflects purity and the future-focused vision of Saudi Arabia.

With a vision to shape the future of air travel, Riyadh Air unveiled its first livery at the Paris Airshow in June this year having previously received its IATA Airline Designator Code (RX) as well as signing a major deal for 90 GEnx engines to power its fleet following a significant order of up to 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners made in March.

The super-sophisticated second livery will see Riyadh Air aircraft adorned in a lavender and indigo paint featuring a feather-like design near the rear of the fuselage, and 'Riyadh Air' written in English and Arabic and the airline's trademark logo on the tail, engines, and aircraft underbelly. The second livery reflects Saudi Arabia's forward-thinking ambitions using iridescent color to add a modern twist to the innovative design, which along with intricate bold text, makes Riyadh Air instantly recognizable, whether on the ground or in the skies.

Launched in March 2023 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) Riyadh Air aims to become the world's most forward-thinking carrier embracing the best sustainability practices, elevating air travel and setting a new standard for reliability, comfort, and hospitality. As a catalyst for the National Transport and Logistics Strategy playing a key role in contributing to Saudi Arabia's wider economic diversification and jobs creation, toward realizing Vision 2030 goals, Riyadh Air is set to fly to more than 100 destinations, contribute to KSA non-oil GDP growth by USD 20 billion and directly and indirectly creating over 200,000 new jobs globally and locally.

Tony Douglas, CEO, Riyadh Air, said the second livery is another statement of intent from the new airline, "As the largest start-up in commercial aviation in decades we are delighted to unveil to the world Riyadh Air's second livery which will be unmistakable when it takes to the skies in 2025 as we become one of the first international carriers to have permanent dual-liveries on an active fleet."

"Following our initial launch in March we have had exceptional progress hitting a number of major milestones for the brand through an obsessive eye for detail, digital-native mindset and commitment to embracing the industry's sustainability best practices. We revealed our first livery reveal to global acclaim, announced fleet orders for our wide body aircraft and signed several ground-breaking new partnerships. This iconic second livery is the latest milestone for Riyadh Air as we shape and disrupt the future of air travel and aviation, with many more things to come," he added.

Riyadh Air and IBM sign collaboration agreement to establish technology foundation of the digitally led airline

Riyadh Air and IBM recently announced the signing of a strategic agreement in which IBM Consulting will be the lead systems integrator to support creating, building and orchestrating the technology foundation that can help the digitally native airline offer exceptional and seamless travel experiences.

Together, Riyadh Air and IBM Consulting have already created the airline's digital and technology strategy. Now, Riyadh Air has selected IBM Consulting to support building the key business and technology capabilities that underpin the strategy. That includes implementing and integrating more than 50 airline industry solutions and core technology capabilities, including security, infrastructure, integration and data platforms, using a hybrid cloud approach. IBM will also orchestrate the work of over 40 partners by providing program and technical governance, project management, quality assurance, change and communications management and training.

The collaboration is expected to help position Riyadh Air strategically within the broader ecosystem to offer digital innovations and exceptional experiences for travellers and guests. Riyadh Air aims to create a world-class airline with personalized and seamless guest experiences powered by AI and state-of-the-art digital technology, taking obsessive care for details that create memorable micro-moments across the traveller journey. It also includes empowering employees with data-driven insights and new ways of working to help Riyadh Air better serve their guests.

"Our ambition is to launch our first flight in 2025 and put Riyadh Air at the cutting edge of digital technology and innovation within the aviation industry, adopting the best international sustainability and safety practices to deliver an exceptional travel experience, for our guests locally and internationally," said Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer, Riyadh Air. "IBM Consulting will be our principal partner driving us towards our vision with their deep expertise in managing large complex systems and integration programs as well as their expertise in the travel industry."

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's world-class new airline signs sponsorship deal with European football club Atlético de Madrid

                Saudi Arabia's newly launched world-class airline, Riyadh Air and leading Spanish football club, Atlético de Madrid signed a multi-year partnership naming the airline as the main and official airline partner of the Red and White football club. The partnership marks a significant milestone for both parties and is the first sports sponsorship that Riyadh Air has signed since its official launch on March 12, 2023.

As part of the historic milestone, the Saudi-based airline will be the main sponsor and official airline partner of the club as part of a multiyear agreement. In addition to having Riyadh Air's presence on the teams kits, the strategic partnership will bring together two entities that share a passion for excellence, innovation and will allow the airline and the club to reach millions of fans around the world.

The new airline, headquartered in Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recently stunned the world by unveiling one of its unique liveries during the Paris Air Show in June 2023. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2025, connecting the Kingdom's capital to more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030. As a full-service and digitally-native carrier, Riyadh Air will pioneer new technologies and innovations whilst offering guests authentic and warm Saudi hospitality.

Riyadh Air signs deal for 90 GEnx engines to power future Boeing 787 Dreamliner Fleet

Following its recent agreement for a wide-body order of 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, Riyadh Air has signed a deal for 90 GEnx-1B engines to power its new fleet. The order also includes spare engines and a TrueChoice services agreement.

The agreement was signed at the Paris Air Show at the Riyadh Air chalet, where the airline revealed its new livery to the world following a flyby last week over Riyadh's iconic city skyline. 

Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of Riyadh Air said, "The agreement highlights our determination to significantly extend Saudi Arabia's connectivity with the world and fulfil our goal of connecting to 100 destinations by 2030. We look forward to fostering strong strategic relationships within the wider aviation ecosystem as we continue to shape our new digitally native airline to become one of the most sustainable and guest- centric carriers in the world."

Russell Stokes, President & CEO, of Commercial Engines and Services for GE Aerospace said, "We are proud to partner with Riyadh Air to support its new fleet and fulfil its vision for long international routes. GE Aerospace's GEnx engine is a perfect fit for the 787 fleet with its combination of power and the ability to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions."

Riyadh Air was unveiled to the world in March, and this marks the first engine partnership with GE Aerospace for its new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The first deliveries are scheduled for early 2025 as Riyadh Air aims to operate one of the newest and most sustainable airline fleets in the world.

Riyadh Air makes its international debut at the 54th Paris Air Show.

They say a  new chapter in air travel has arrived on the global stage today with the world-class, digitally-led airline Riyadh Air, making its international debut at the 54th bi-annual Paris Air Show. 

The carriers Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in the unique Riyadh Air livery touched down after a stunning fly-over in the city of Riyadh for its first official reveal on Monday 12th June.  

This new airline from Saudi Arabia plans to fly to more than 100 destinations and has lofty ambitions to carry 100 million passengers by 2030. It wants to make Riyadh City a global hub for travel as well as encouraging visits to the Kingdom for business and leisure. 

Riyadh Air aims to bring a new level of attention to detail to the passenger experience and believes it has technology that will raise the bar for the industry. As a brand it wants to capture the heritage of the Kingdom whilst being modern and forward-thinking with the tagline, 'The Future Takes Flight'.    

The aircraft is on display at the show, allowing visitors to view the unique indigo aircraft livery up close. Its lavender colour is symbolic of the welcoming and hospitable nature of the people in the Kingdom, as well as being a natural plant that carpets Saudi Arabia during spring and the tail design captures the movement of canopy tents in the desert. 

New Saudi Arabian airline to launch with all-Boeing Fleet.......up to 72 Dreamliners

US planemaker Boeing has done a massive deal, potentially with one of the globe's newest air carriers, Riyadh Air, which will see the new Saudi Arabian airline launch with a fleet of 787 Dreamliners.  

Owned by Saudi Arabia's current rulers' Public Investment Fund, the new airline will purchase 39 Boeing 787-9s aircraft, with options for an additional 33 787-9s. These will be based at the HQ of the airline, Riyadh. 

Saudi Arabia's leaders are seeking to completely transform the nation's aviation industry and develop to be a global hub that will see it rival Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 

"The new airline reflects the ambitious vision of Saudi Arabia to be at the core of shaping the future of global air travel and be a true disrupter in terms of customer experience," said Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air.