Riyadh Air orders 34 Boeing, Airbus widebody jets

Riyadh : Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air has expanded its future fleet with commitments for 34 additional widebody aircraft, placing new orders for Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350-1000s as the airline accelerates plans to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030.

Announced during the Farnborough International Airshow, the carrier confirmed it will exercise options for 28 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners, including converting 20 aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant. The agreement also includes an undisclosed purchase of 11 Dreamliners, which will increase Riyadh Air's firm order book to 67 Boeing 787s once all remaining orders are finalized.

Separately, the airline confirmed it will acquire six additional Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, raising its confirmed order for the type to 31. Riyadh Air also has 60 Airbus A321s on order, bringing its total confirmed aircraft orders to 91.

The expansion comes weeks after the airline launched commercial operations in June. Riyadh Air currently serves six destinations, including London, Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, Malaga and Jeddah, and has opened bookings for new routes to Dhaka, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Manchester, and Mumbai.

The new aircraft will support its long-haul and ultra-long-haul expansion while improving operational efficiency. B787-10 offers higher passenger capacity than 787-9, while A350-1000 is expected to strengthen its ultra-long-haul network with lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions.