Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammad Bin Salman, has announced the establishment of its new national airline, Riyadh Air.
The airline was already in the pipeline in October last year, when it was referred to as RIA, before the name crystallised into RIA, as reported by Travel News here.
The airline, wholly owned by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), will be chaired by PIF Governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan. CEO will be ex-Etihad CEO, Tony Douglas. Senior management will include both Saudi and international expertise.
According to Airline Routes and Ground Services, the new carrier forms part of the country’s Vision 2030 plan, which involves investment in sectors such as tourism, entertainment and transportation to drive economic growth and create job opportunities for Saudi citizens.
The aviation industry has been identified as a key area for development, given its potential to support tourism and trade.
Riyadh Air is expected add US$20 billion (R364,4bn) to Saudi Arabia's non-oil GDP growth and to create more than 200 000 job opportunities – including pilots, flight attendants, and ground staff – both directly and indirectly.
The airline plans to serve more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030, according to Reuters. Initial routes will include major cities in Saudi Arabia, such as Jeddah, Dammam, and Medina, as well as regional destinations in the Middle East and North Africa.
It is planning to operate a fleet of modern aircraft, including Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft, known for their fuel efficiency and low emissions.
