Riyadh Air, a Saudi startup carrier, has disclosed orders for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000s, bringing the total number of aircraft in the airline's backlog to 182.
Riyadh Air announced the agreement on the first day of the Paris Air Show.
It consists of 25 corporate aircraft. There are also 25 purchase rights. All A350-1000s are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine.
The carrier aims to start services this year after obtaining a certificate of aviation operator.
As a result of the agreement, Riyadh Air will have a mixed fleet of A350, Boeing 787s and Airbus A320neo-Family Jets.
Chief Executive Tony Douglas says the A350 transaction is a “significant statement of intent.”
“After completing our orders for the first three aircraft, we are in a position to achieve our ambitious network goals,” he adds.
Riyadh Air will identify its first destination network over the coming months. Airline chair Yasir Al-Rumayyan says his carrier will connect Saudi Arabia's capital to more than 100 destinations by 2030.
“In its excellent range, adding the Airbus A350-1000 to the fleet demonstrates Riyadh Airlines' strategic contribution in deploying Saudi Arabia as a global aviation hub,” he adds.
