{"id":190241,"date":"2026-07-20T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/?p=190241"},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:18:23","slug":"farnborough-airshow-riyadh-air-exercises-options-for-28-more-boeing-787s-and-six-airbus-a350-1000s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/07\/farnborough-airshow-riyadh-air-exercises-options-for-28-more-boeing-787s-and-six-airbus-a350-1000s.html","title":{"rendered":"Farnborough Airshow: Riyadh Air Exercises Options for 28 More Boeing 787s and Six Airbus A350-1000s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s new national flag carrier, Riyadh Air<\/strong>, has exercised strategic purchase options with Boeing and Airbus t<\/strong>o add more aircraft and bolster its ultra-long-haul capacity, accelerating the goals of the national Vision 2030 plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline announced an agreement to exercise purchase options for 28 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliner family aircraft on the sidelines of the prestigious 2026 Farnborough International Airshow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deal includes converting 20 aircraft to the higher-capacity variant, the Boeing 787-10, alongside a previously unidentified order for 11 widebody jets. Once the remaining 17 aircraft in the package are finalized, Riyadh Air’s total firm order for Dreamliners will reach 67 units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The commitment to secure an additional 28 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and introduce the 787-10 marks another significant milestone in Riyadh Air\u2019s journey toward serving over 100 international destinations by 2030\u2014a core pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions. The addition of the 787-10 strengthens our ability to meet growing passenger and cargo demand while providing the necessary operational flexibility.”
\u2014 Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Riyadh Air<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultra-Long-Haul Reinforcement with the Airbus A350-1000<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Riyadh Air also confirmed it has exercised purchase rights to acquire six additional Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. This milestone brings the total confirmed order for the flagship widebody jet to 31 units, primarily destined to boost its intercontinental, ultra-long-haul route network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The carrier’s overall order backlog with European manufacturer Airbus now stands at 91 firm aircraft\u2014including 60 narrowbody Airbus A321-family units\u2014while retaining 19 additional purchase rights for the A350 family, ensuring significant operational flexibility moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2192 Riyadh Air Launches Direct Flights to Madrid and Signs Strategic Alliance MoU with Air Europa<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Following the landmark launch of our first commercial flights last month, confirming these purchase rights for six additional Airbus A350-1000 aircraft is a strong statement of our growth trajectory and long-term ambition. With no legacy systems holding us back, we are building an airline of the future from the ground up. The A350-1000 will allow us to showcase authentic Saudi hospitality, Hafawa<\/em>, on a global scale.”
\u2014 Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Riyadh Air<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operational Deployment and Network Expansion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This announcement comes at a historic inflection point for the startup carrier, following its inaugural commercial flight connecting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to London Heathrow Airport on June 10, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riyadh Air currently operates scheduled services to six key international destinations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n