At Farnborough, Riyadh Air said the added Dreamliners, including 20 converted to 787-10s, support its plan to serve more than 100 international destinations by 2030 under Saudi Vision 2030.
Riyadh Air said it is exercising options for 28 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets from its 2023 order, including converting 20 aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant. The announcement also disclosed a previously unidentified purchase of 11 widebody jets, and once the remaining 17 aircraft are finalized, the airline’s firm order total will reach 67 787 Dreamliners. Riyadh Air has already taken delivery of six 787-9s and currently serves six cities. The carrier said the expanded fleet supports its plan to fly to more than 100 international destinations by 2030. Boeing said the 787-10 will complement Riyadh Air’s existing 787-9 fleet, with fleet commonality helping reduce training and maintenance complexity, while adding 50 seats versus the 787-9 and cutting fuel use and emissions by 25% compared with the airplanes it replaces. Riyadh Air, wholly owned by PIF, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, said the expansion is intended to support Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification goals, including creating more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributing over $20 billion, or SAR 75 billion, to non-oil GDP growth by 2030.