A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air is pictured on the tarmac at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (Photo by Sofiane Alsaar/ AFP)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia launched its second national carrier Riyadh Air after more than a year of delays on Wednesday, defying the economic turmoil triggered by the Middle East regional tension and strong competition from established Gulf airlines.
A London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Riyadh Air's white and lavender livery took off at 2:30am (2330 GMT Tuesday), putting in motion a flagship project in Saudi Arabia's push to reduce its economic reliance on oil.
Riyadh Air, the country's second state-owned airline after Jeddah-based Saudia, is meant to help turn the Saudi capital into a global hub.
"We want to bring glamour, we want to bring refinement, we want to bring grace back," Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas told AFP.
The launch, originally planned for 2025, was set back by delivery delays from Boeing, which has suffered a series of manufacturing and safety problems in recent years.
Hostesses stand inside a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on June 7, 2026. (Photo by Sofiane Alsaar/ AFP)
It also follows unprecedented Middle East regional tension and Iran which has fired thousands of drones and missiles at Gulf targets including airports, casting the wealthy region into sudden economic uncertainty.
But, for Douglas, ex-CEO of Abu Dhabi's Etihad airline, the inaugural flight is "the culmination of four years' worth of preparation".
"I think Riyadh, as a result of its geography, during this particular point in time, has been less affected" by the attacks, he said, seated in a Riyadh Air Dreamliner cabin at a pre-launch event.
"You have the trials and the tribulations, you win some, you lose some, you make progress, you sometimes have setbacks, but you have made it, and this day we've made it," added the CEO.
Saturated market?
Saudi Arabia is building a major new airport in Riyadh with a planned capacity of 120 million passengers a year by 2030, compared to 53 million at the existing King Khalid International Airport.
A man speaks with a hostess aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on June 7, 2026. (Photo by Sofiane Alsaar / AFP)
Riyadh Air is owned by the $900 billion Public Investment Fund.
In a statement of intent, the airline ordered 132 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and last June signed for 25 Airbus A350-1000s, with an option for 50 more.
"Our ambition is to be able to connect to over 100 international cities over the next five years," Douglas said.
At a ceremony celebrating the first planes' delivery, PIF chief and Riyadh Air chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan described "a historic moment for the nation" and said the company would create "200,000 direct and indirect jobs".
Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the 2030 World Expo and the 2034 football World Cup, and welcomes millions of pilgrims to Mecca each year, aims to triple its annual air traffic to 330 million passengers by 2030.
