Riyadh Air will begin flights next year and hopes to offer 100 destinations worldwide by 2030. What do passengers have to look forward to?
Which aircraft will passengers board?
Riyadh Air has ordered 39 long-haul Boeing 787s, and has an option to buy 33 more. An order for short-haul jets to serve domestic and regional flights – probably Airbus – will follow.
Where will Riyadh Air fly?
Its own jets will mostly fly to and from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom wants to attract more than 150 million visitors a year by 2030, mostly from outside the Gulf region. The demand for flights will increase thanks to a series of global events that will take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming years, including the Asian Winter Games in 2029, Expo 2030 Riyadh, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
To ensure that the newer carrier offers services outside the kingdom, Riyadh Air chief executive Tony Douglas has signed contracts with several partner airlines that will link their services to Riyadh Air flights to its hubs.
Turkish Airlines will provide a wide network of European routes to and from Istanbul. Delta will offer flights throughout the United States from Atlanta. There are also connections with Singapore Airlines, Air China and China Eastern. Singapore Airlines will provide connections from its Changi hub to eight destinations in Australia and three in New Zealand, as well as locations throughout Southeast Asia.
Digital first
Riyadh Air promises to offer the first digital airline experience entirely based on mobile. The carrier will have a website but doesn’t expect many customers to use it. “Because we have no legacy, we have a great opportunity to be a digital native,” says Douglas, an industry veteran who led the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 and steered Abu Dhabi’s flag carrier Etihad Airways to profitability. .
It promises that “your face will be your passport”, not just when traveling through Saudi Arabia’s new high-tech airports: facial recognition will also give you access to the airline’s app and enable you to pay for flights with your credit card .
The Riyadh Air app will offer more than flight options. “You’ll be able to input your budget, your desired travel window, and your preferred cabin class and hotel chain, and we’ll curate a personalized itinerary, adding hotels, attractions, and even restaurant recommendations to your tour basket,” a says Douglas. It claims the service will be so personal that your cutlery in business class will be laid out correctly for you if you are left-handed.
What to expect on board
The interior of Riyadh Air’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets will “harken back to the panache and style of Pan Am flights in the 1960s,” Douglas promises.
The state-of-the-art business suites will be so luxurious that there will be no need for first class. He will have his work cut out for him to improve the Q Suite, offered by Qatar Airways, considered by most travelers to be the best business class in the sky for any major carrier. Expect sliding privacy doors, large HD video screens, wireless charging, and free fast Wi-Fi that offers the opportunity to stream live TV and sports.
He has big plans for premium economy. “When you look at premium economy, is it ‘business class minus’ or ‘economy plus’? I’d like to think our class is better than other airlines’ business class.” Without offering bunk beds, it’s hard to see how this will be possible.
The color purple
Riyadh Air’s lounges and cabin interiors will be styled in its signature colours, shades of electric amethyst and dark amethyst – purple to you and me – reflecting the lavender that grows in the desert.
The color of the team uniforms will also be purple. Riyadh Air closed Paris Haute Couture Week in July when Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of Ashi Studio, unveiled the cabin crew uniforms. “It’s not a cabin crew uniform, it’s cabin crew fashion,” says Douglas.
Ashi drew inspiration from the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, with Leonardo DiCaprio. The collection features tailored dresses and suits, custom sunglasses and iconic pillbox hats for women.
Will I be able to have a glass of wine?
Not in the air, not in the business classrooms of Riyadh Air. “We work within the legal framework. Currently, alcohol is prohibited within the kingdom. If things change over time, we will adapt and adjust,” says Douglas.
Travel and tourism chiefs expect some hotels to be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks in designated bars and restaurants sometime in the next five years. It is unlikely that any airline will be able to serve alcohol on the ground in its lounges but if hotels are allowed, Riyadh Air may be able to do so in the air. A liquor store opened in Riyadh earlier this year where non-Muslim diplomats can buy wine, beer and spirits.