Saudi Arabia launched its second national carrier Riyadh Air after more than a year of delays on Wednesday, defying the economic turmoil triggered by the Middle East war and strong competition from established Gulf airlines.
A London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Riyadh Air’s white and lavender livery took off at 2:30am local time, putting in motion a flagship project in Saudi Arabia’s push to reduce its economic reliance on oil.
Riyadh Air, the country’s second state-owned airline after Jeddah-based Saudia, is meant to help turn the Saudi capital into a global hub to rival Dubai, the world’s busiest for international passengers.
“We want to bring glamour, we want to bring refinement, we want to bring grace back,” Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas told AFP.
The launch, originally planned for 2025, was set back by delivery delays from Boeing, which has suffered a series of manufacturing and safety problems in recent years.
It also follows unprecedented attacks from Iran, which has fired thousands of drones and missiles at Gulf targets, including airports, casting the wealthy region into sudden economic uncertainty.
But, for Douglas, ex-CEO of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad airline, the inaugural flight is “the culmination of four years’ worth of preparation”.
“I think Riyadh, as a result of its geography, during this particular point in time, has been less affected” by the attacks, he said, seated in a Riyadh Air Dreamliner cabin at a pre-launch event.
“You have the trials and the tribulations, you win some, you lose some, you make progress, you sometimes have setbacks, but you have made it, and this day we’ve made it,” added the CEO.
Saudi Arabia is building a major new airport in Riyadh with a planned capacity of 120 million passengers a year by 2030, compared to 53m at the existing King Khalid International Airport.
