RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday the creation of a new national airline, part of a plan to turn Riyadh into a global hub for aviation rivalling regional leaders like Doha and Dubai.
Riyadh Air “aims to launch flights to over 100 destinations worldwide by 2030,” the state Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious aviation goals as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s broader “Vision 2030” reform agenda, including over-tripling annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the decade’s end.
It also intends to move up to five million tonnes of cargo yearly.
Last November, government officials announced plans for a new airport in Riyadh — spanning 57 square kilometers (22 square miles) — to accommodate 120 million travellers annually by 2030 and 185 million travellers by 2050.
The capacity of the existing Riyadh International Airport is about 35 million travellers.
The new airline is the latest in “a massive package of projects” that will “consolidate kingdom’s position as an international aviation hub and a global logistics center,” Saudi Arabia’s transport minister Saleh Al-Jasser posted on Twitter.
A former head of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, Tony Douglas, has been appointed CEO, SPA reported.
Airline aims to compete Gulf rivals
Today’s announcement said Riyadh Air would operate a “fleet of advanced aircraft” but did not specify how extensive the fleet would be or from where it would be sourced.
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund that will own the airline, was “close to an agreement” with Boeing for an aircraft order “worth $35 billion”.
Saudi Arabia’s busiest international airport is currently in the Red Sea coastal Jeddah city, where flag carrier Saudia is based.
Also known as the “Gateway to Mecca,” the city welcomes millions of Muslims each year to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
In recent years, officials have tried to position Riyadh, in central Saudi Arabia, as a rival in the Gulf region to business hub Dubai.
