Riyadh Air Delays Launch To Late 2025, Due To Boeing 787 Deliveries

In a development that should surprise no one, ambitious Saudi Arabian airline startup Riyadh Air won’t be launching operations with the initially planned timeline.

Riyadh Air pushes back launch by several months

Riyadh Air will be start service with brand new Boeing 787-9s, as the airline has ordered up to 72 of these. All along, the plan has been for Riyadh Air to take delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner in early 2025, and launch operations in the middle of 2025. However, that timeline has slipped.

The airline now anticipates taking delivery of its first 787 in Q3 2025, and then launching operations shortly thereafter. As an airline official explains:

“The arrival of the first B787-9 will allow operations to commence as soon as possible, and we remain in close contact with our colleagues at Boeing with the aim to receive delivery of a number of aircraft later this year. Major parts of the first aircraft are already prepared for final assembly and given well-known global supply chain challenges, we expect delivery to start in Q3, facilitating the start of operations soon after.”

Of course this delay shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given Boeing’s consistent delivery delays. Riyadh Air is hardly alone when it comes to having to alter its plans due to delayed aircraft. The difference between Riyadh Air and other carriers is that the airline is fully reliant on this to be able to commence operations, rather than just to grow.

Funny enough, Riyadh Air is actually flying a leased Boeing 787 in its full livery. However, this plane won’t ever operate passenger flights for the airline. The eight-year-old Dreamliner flew for Oman Air, but is temporarily at Riyadh Air, to help the airline work through its certification process.

Riyadh Air is reportedly making good progress with launching operations. The airline expects to receive its air operator certificate from regulators in “the coming weeks,” and has also hired dozens of flight attendants and pilots.

Ironically, Lufthansa has exactly the opposite problem of Riyadh Air. The airline has over a dozen 787 Dreamliners ready to be delivered, but can’t get the seats certified.

Riyadh Air’s cabins will be revealed in coming months

In the coming months, we should expect Riyadh Air to unveil the details of its passenger experience and cabins. Initially these details were supposed to be announced in the first half of 2024, but that timeline has been pushed back, along with the delivery of the first planes.

Riyadh Air’s 787s are expected to be in a three cabin layout, with business class, premium economy, and economy. The airline is promising to have industry leading products, though no further details have been revealed just yet. The airline is also promising to be a “digital native,” though we’ll see what exactly that entails.

Hopefully Riyadh Air doesn’t have issues with getting its new cabins certified, unlike the issues Lufthansa is dealing with. I was expecting that Riyadh Air would introduce its own custom products, though I now feel like the airline is probably choosing some “off the shelf” seats with minor customizations, to make the certification process a bit easier (which would probably be smart).

Bottom line

Riyadh Air has pushed back its launch from the middle of 2025 to late 2025, due to Boeing delivery delays. The company now expects to get its first aircraft in Q3 2025, and to start operations shortly thereafter. That assumes there are no additional delays, be it with the aircraft as such, or certification of the cabins.

I’m mighty curious to see what Riyadh Air has planned for the passenger experience, but we’ll likely have to wait a short while longer before those details are revealed.

When do you think Riyadh Air will actually launch operations?