Riyadh: Airbus SE won an order for 60 A321neo jets from Saudi Arabia’s new carrier, as the kingdom pours billions of dollars into turning the country into an aviation and tourism hub.
Riyadh Air, backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, announced the deal at the Future Investment Initiative conference on Wednesday. With the order, the carrier will have purchased 132 planes altogether. It plans to begin services in 2025, according to a statement that confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report.
The sale marks a win for Airbus over archrival Boeing Co. on a hotly contested order. Riyadh Air Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas said in November that the carrier was studying narrowbody aircraft from both planemakers, and that he didn’t want to split the order to keep maintenance costs down.
The startup airline is adding short-haul aircraft to its fleet as it looks to challenge regional incumbents. It’s part of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s initiative to make Saudi Arabia’s economy less dependent on oil. Last year, Riyadh Air ordered Boeing Co. 787-9 widebody jets for long-distance routes.
