Riyadh Air’s chief executive has ruled out making any aircraft orders during the Paris Air Show.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Riyadh Air, Tony Douglas, said that no orders would be announced during one of the most important trade shows of the year, being held at Paris Le Bourget Airport (LBG). According to Douglas, the fight is still on between Airbus and Boeing as to who is going to provide narrow-body aircraft to the startup that will be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The airline’s Boeing 787-9, which is a Boeing demonstrational frame, is at the event, which goes on until June 25, 2023. However, its first aircraft will arrive in 2025, with the carrier not operating this 787-9, which has also performed a low fly-past above Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in addition to attending the Paris Air Show.
Previous reports have said that the carrier is looking to add narrow-body aircraft to its current order book, consisting solely of 787s, namely the Boeing 737 MAX. Supposedly, Riyadh Air has looked to buy up to 150 aircraft of the type, while still being in the market for a total of between 300 and 400 single-aisle jets.
Riyadh Air was launched by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the country’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, also the Chairman of the PIF on March 12, 2023. It plans to launch services in 2025 and connect Riyadh with over 100 destinations by 2030.
The Crown Prince is also in Paris this week. However, his priority is for Riyadh’s World Expo 2030 bid, according to reports by France’s Le Figaro – though the report also added that the royal could announce an order for Airbus aircraft by the end of the week.