Riyadh Air secures 787 simulator operational certificate
January 27, 2025
Riyadh Air has been awarded its operational certificate by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), for its first advanced CAE RX7000 full flight simulator for the Boeing 787-9. This a significant milestone prior to the start of commercial operations in 2025, which remains on track. The license was officially presented by Captain Sulaiman Al-Muhaimedi, Executive Vice President for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at GACA, to Riyadh Air’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Bellew, who said that: “This milestone underscores our commitment to world-class pilot training and operational excellence. The advanced simulator will enhance our pilots’ capabilities, aligning with Riyadh Air’s ambition to redefine aviation standards and deliver a next-level flying experience. We will continue investing in cutting-edge solutions that drive efficiency, safety, and excellence across our operations.”
The simulator is a critical addition to Riyadh Air’s expanding training infrastructure, designed to enhance pilot readiness and elevate safety benchmarks. By providing an immersive and highly responsive training experience, the advanced simulator enables pilots to refine their skills, optimize performance, and ensure seamless operational execution.
CAE and Riyadh Air today announced an agreement for the purchase of two state-of-the-art Boeing 787 CAE7000XR full-flight simulators (FFS) and a Boeing 787 flight training device (FTD) on 13 December 2023. CAE and Riyadh Air will work in partnership with Prince Sultan University to deploy the simulators in 2024 at a purpose-built facility at the newly established College of Aviation and Space, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air’s CEO said that: “By placing such an important order to fulfil our simulator requirements and create a roadmap for our pilot training, Riyadh Air is achieving another critical milestone on its journey towards its first flight. CAE is a world-renowned provider of technology for pilot training, and we are looking forward to having our simulators in our state-of-the-art new facility at the Prince Sultan University in Riyadh where they will inspire the next generation of aviators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Nick Leontidis, CAE’s Group President, Civil Aviation responded by saying: “We are grateful that Riyadh Air has placed its trust in CAE to provide the digitally immersive simulators that will enable the new airline to take to the sky in 2025. We look forward to working in partnership with Riyadh Air and Prince Sultan University to develop a new training centre with advanced simulation technology that will equip the airline’s personnel with the skills and confidence to deliver the highest levels of safety and a memorable customer experience on every flight.”
This investment in leading-edge training technology reflects Riyadh Air’s broader vision for the future of air travel. The airline says that it is committed to using innovation to enhance safety, optimize operational efficiency, and redefine industry standards. This commitment not only aligns with the national aviation strategy, which targets significant growth in passenger capacity (330 million annually) and air cargo (4.5 million tons) by 2030, expanding the Kingdom’s network to 250 destinations, but also reaffirms Riyadh Air’s mission to set new industry benchmarks.
