The CEO of Riyadh Airlines, Tony Douglas, expects to receive the first order of “Boeing Dreamliner” aircraft in early 2025.
In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya, Douglas confirmed that the company’s modern aircraft will be 25% more fuel efficient and will be able to fly further.
Douglas said: “Riyadh Air fleet will be modern with modern engines. These aircraft will be 25% more efficient in fuel consumption, and they will be able to fly further distances, and certainly these aircraft will be lighter. We will use many technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and in The future world will look to Riyadh Air as a leader in aviation sustainability.”
Regarding Riyadh Airlines’ plans to reach 100 global destinations, Douglas said: “Our commitments are very clear, and they are part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, which focuses on diversifying the economy. What we will do is connect the Kingdom with the world and connect the world with the Kingdom, as we aim to add about 100 destinations to our network.” We still have two years ahead of us, and our network will include the main cities in the Kingdom and regionally, and of course the main cities globally.”
He said, “We are scheduled to do new disclosures every two months, to reveal another great story, but as we approach the actual operation of reservations next year .. this will be part of the expected big announcement.”
He continued, “We will work from the capital, Riyadh, and we will use the existing infrastructure, on which an important program is being applied that includes improving and increasing the capacity at the present time, so that after that we will move to the new airport when it will be available to everyone.”
Douglas said: “We will provide world-class infrastructure, world-class aviation, and we will present Riyadh Airlines as a true digital airline with keen attention to detail when it comes to the customer experience.”
He pointed out that the company will rely on artificial intelligence and a chatbot, adding: “Riyadh Air certainly has an advantage, which is that it does not have any old legacy to be developed. We will integrate these technologies so that Riyadh Air becomes a digital local aviation.”
On the rise in ticket prices, Douglas said: “Today, most of the flights are full…the supply is less, while there is a huge amount of demand, which raises ticket prices, and many costs have changed,” expecting that prices will improve towards a decline with the passage of time. But of course there could be many changes.
And the CEO indicated that oil prices are the biggest costs for any airline, so it is very difficult to predict prices for the distant future, but it is likely that ticket prices will begin to stabilize.
