Riyadh: In a year since its launch on March 12 last year, the Public Investment Fund (PIF)- owned Riyadh Air has received over 1 million online job applications, the airline announced Wednesday. The airline received applications from over 100 countries as it built its team, running several recruitment roadshows across London, Paris, Dubai, and Riyadh.
The airline is expected to take off in 2025. Riyadh Air hopes to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification, job creation, and Vision 2030 goals, boosting non-oil GDP by $20 billion and creating over 200,000 jobs globally and locally.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, said, “2023 was a monumental year for Riyadh Air, and we’re immensely proud of the progress we’ve made in the last 12 months as we celebrate our first anniversary - but we’re only just getting started.” He added, “This year is set to be an even bigger one for us, and we can’t wait to reveal more as we continue to accelerate towards our maiden flight in 2025, as we become the most forward-thinking carrier in the skies.”
Last year, the airline signed an agreement to purchase 39 Boeing Dreamliners, with options for 33 more jets. Riyadh Air also signed a deal for 90 GEnx engines to power its Boeing 787 fleet. In the past year, Riyadh Air has signed partnership agreements with multiple aviation partners, including Saudia, Turkish Airlines, Boeing, GE, CAE, Swiss AS, Lufthansa Systems Lucid Motors, and Atlético de Madrid.
The airline also partnered with IBM, Accenture, Microsoft, Oracle, Sabre, and Adobe. During its first year, Riyadh Air unveiled two permanent dual-livery designs.
At the 15th International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation event (ICAN), Riyadh Air also announced a deal with Turkish Airlines, its first significant agreement outside Saudi Arabia, to provide a comprehensive range of benefits for guests travelling between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
