‘Super excited’: Riyadh Air hopes to receive first Boeing 787 by mid-December
November 10, 2025
Just two weeks since launching its limited-access flights on a leased Oman Air Boeing 787-9, Saudi startup Riyadh Air is powering towards full launch. Indeed, VP of Global Communications, Ian Bradley, tells Aerospace `Global News that plans for its London Heathrow commercial flights are progressing ahead of expectations.
Speaking on the sidelines of World Travel Market in London, Bradley said the initial proving phase was going “better than we expected.” These testing flights are currently only open to staff and their families, helping the new carrier to refine both the onboard and ground experience.
Notably, Riyadh Air’s first own Boeing 787-9 could arrive in Saudi Arabia as soon as next month, taking the airline a step closer to flying to London Heathrow with fare-paying passengers.
“We’re optimistic that our first aircraft will arrive probably mid-December at the latest,” Bradley told AGN. “We’re working very closely with Boeing on that. The plane rolled out of the paint shop in Charleston two months ago. It’s just going out to the final certification, and it’s about to go on the flight line. Once that gets certified, it’ll be here pretty soon. We’re super excited. That will be our first own aircraft.”
The arrival will mark a significant milestone for the start-up, which launched in 2023 under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to develop Riyadh as a global transport and tourism hub.
The initial Heathrow service forms the final part of what the airline calls its “Pathway to Perfect” programme – a staged entry into service aimed at achieving operational readiness before full commercial launch.
Bradley confirmed that the first Riyadh Air aircraft will operate to London while the leased Boeing 787, named Jamila, will cover a new route linking the Saudi city with Dubai.
“Once we get that first aircraft [from Boeing], it will then start flying to London,” he said. “Jamila, the technical spare, will start flying to Dubai. So we’ll have two routes almost straight away.”
When a third aircraft arrives the following month, Jamila will revert to its original role as a backup aircraft to support reliability as the network expands.
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Riyadh Air’s rapid fleet build-up
Riyadh Air’s fleet plan is advancing at pace. The second 787 is leaving final assembly for the paint shop, while a third aircraft is about to enter production.
“From January next year, we’ll be getting one a month of the 787,” Bradley said.
“When we get to the end of 2026, that’s when the A321s start to come in. We get up to two a month by the end of next year, one Boeing and one Airbus… and then we’ll get to 2027 and we start to get three a month. So it’s really accelerating quickly.”
The airline’s growth target – 100 destinations by 2030 – remains on track, supported by a recruitment drive that has drawn remarkable interest.
“We’ve had over 1.5 million applicants; everybody wants to be a part of the Riyadh Air story,” Bradley said.
“Our pilots are among the real A-listers… people who work for Boeing, Singapore, Emirates, Qatar, any of the great airlines that are out there.”
Riyadh Air currently employs around 650 staff but expects that number to rise to 15,000 by the end of the decade.
Riyadh Air and the ‘Pathway to Perfect’
Much of the airline’s operational philosophy is embodied in its “Pathway to Perfect” initiative, a two-and-a-half-year process that has guided Riyadh Air’s development from concept to launch.
“The pathway started with the creation of the name of the airline, the first aircraft delivery back in 2023, the launch of the uniforms, the launch of the brand,” Bradley explained.
“We’re now at the very end of that pathway… We have been selected by the country to get this new airline to the starting line, representing Saudi Arabia. The pistol has gone off, but you don’t get any medals at the starting line. This is the start of the marathon.”
The proving flights, which began in late October, have been used to test all elements of the airline’s operations – from digital systems and payment processing to in-flight catering and crew procedures – before tickets go on full public sale.
“We’ve been flying now for just less than two weeks, and we want to make sure that when we go on full public sale, all the little creases have been ironed out when it comes to our product,” Bradley said.
“There have been no major glitches. It’s run pretty much as we would expect… It’s all gone well, probably better than we expected.”
London Heathrow trial flights prove feedback is a gift
Passengers on these early services are offered discounted fares in exchange for structured feedback, which the airline uses to fine-tune the product.
Small adjustments – such as meal timing, making onboard announcements clearer, and adjusting service flow – have been reviewed and tweaked after each flight.
“Now is the time for things to go wrong,” Bradley noted.
“Stress test, get people to check in bags that might be empty, just so we can check and see, do they make it all the way to the other end… Maybe the breakfast service starts a little early on the flight. Maybe we need to serve drinks a little bit later.
“We always say feedback is a gift. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to listen to your customers.”
Technology at the core
Riyadh Air’s digital infrastructure may prove its most distinctive feature. The airline’s booking platform, built in-house, is designed to replace the rigid passenger service systems that have defined airline IT since the 1960s.
“When you go into our app, you’re ordering like it’s an Amazon shopping basket,” Bradley explained. “You can have a family or a group, travelling on different days, in different classes… and if they say, I want to cancel. I want to go on a different date, it’s all in one basket, like you would have on Amazon.”
Bradley described the system as “revolutionary” for its ability to simplify complex bookings and modifications without relying on legacy PNRs. “It really streamlines the guest experience,” he said. “Other airlines are all watching us very closely to see how we make this happen.”
With the first aircraft now nearing delivery and operational testing largely complete, Riyadh Air appears set to meet its target for a 2025 launch.
The next few months will determine how smoothly the transition from proving flights to scheduled services unfolds, but for now, the airline’s path to Heathrow seems firmly on course.
Featured image: Riyadh Air
