Riyadh Air orders up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s at Paris Air Show

The widebody component was under evaluation for several months before choosing between Boeing's 777X and Airbus' A350. The airline ultimately selected Airbus' widebody option to optimize its fleet while minimizing aircraft type variety.

Riyadh Air received its Air Operator Certificate from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation earlier this year and aims to begin operations by late 2025. The airline is targeting over 100 global destinations by 2030.

In addition, Riyadh Air plans to introduce its First Class product on the A350-1000, making it the only aircraft in their fleet with such an offering. While specific details about the cabin have not been disclosed, it will include both first class and business class sections.

In April, Riyadh Air unveiled interior designs for their Boeing 787 Dreamliners featuring fully enclosed business class suites and various cabin classes incorporating elements inspired by Saudi culture.

The A350-1000 will support Riyadh Air's premium experience expansion on longer international routes. The aircraft is known for being Airbus’ largest twinjet in production with features like wider cross-sections and improved passenger comfort through lower cabin altitude and better air quality.

Ahead of its launch later this year, Riyadh Air has entered into several strategic agreements supporting network rollout and growth. These partnerships span connectivity, training, digital transformation, maintenance, interline cooperation with major airlines like EgyptAir and Singapore Airlines among others. Additionally, they signed an MoU with Air France-KLM covering route development and sustainability areas along with codeshare agreements pending regulatory approvals.