The second day of the Paris Air Show brought on a slew of new aviation agreements from the region’s aviation giants and global logistics players. The fresh signatures include leasing contracts, MRO agreements, new build acquisitions, and regulatory frameworks.

SAUDI ARABIA-

Riyadh Air ordered 50 Trent XWB engines from Rolls-Royce to power the 25 Airbus A350-1000 aircrafts it recently purchased, Rolls-Royce said in a statement yesterday. The agreement also included Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service covering the maintenance of the engines.

The PIF-backed carrier also boosted its recent Airbus order to 182 aircraft, Marketing and Corporate Communications VP Osama Al Nwayser told Al Arabiya Business on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Airshow. Riyadh Air — which locked in an order for up to 50 Airbus aircraft — is set to announce its first route and ticket sale mechanism in the upcoming months, Nwayser added, without specifying an official date. The airline aims to boost Riyadh’s connectivity with global destinations and finalize the firm’s readiness to launch operations by the end of 2025.

IN OTHER NEWS- Saudi Arabia and Panama agreed to establish regulatory frameworks for air transport between the two countries at the Paris International AirShow, the General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca) said on X.

TURKEY-

Turkey to tap two lessors for 14 jets: Turkey's flagship airline Turkish Airlines is set to uptake 14 narrowbody jets from US-based lessor Carlyle and Irish lessor Avolon — including Boeing Max and Airbus Neo carriers — to be delivered in 2028, Chairman Ahmed Bolat told Aviation Week. The move comes despite continued delivery delays from Airbus and Boeing, with both manufacturers informing the airline “day by day” that the delays are growing further, Bolat added. The Turkish carrier is also close to bagging agreements with other lessors, he added, without disclosing further details.

A new Boeing order is in the cards: Turkish Airlines is closing in on an order with Boeing — pending a final price agreement between the two parties, including engine costs, Bolat added. The airline was hoping to lock in the order at the show, but final discussions have been postponed as Boeing officials were forced to cancel appearances at the high-profile event following the Air India crash last week.

ALGERIA-

Algeria, Textron partner up on aero-meds jet: Algeria’s state-owned energy firm Sonatrach’s aviation subsidiary Tassili Travail Aérien (TTA) is set to acquire two newbuild Cessna SkyCourier aircraft from US-based Textron Aviation, according to a statement. The aero-medical equipped courier planes will offer cargo, passenger, and medevac services all in one aircraft. The SkyCourier — which includes a twin-engine, high wing-turboprop build — has capacity for both freighter and passenger operations.

About TTA: The firm offers Sonatrach — Algeria’s national oil and gas company — passenger transportation, aero-medical evacuation, and other special mission services to support its work in Algeria’s energy sector.

AND INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS-

VietJet places 100-jet Airbus order: Vietnamese budget airline VietJet has inked an MoU with Airbus for a new order of 100 narrow A321neo aircraft with an option to order another 50 jets, according to a statement. The cost and delivery time were not disclosed.

We knew this was coming: VietJet was mulling plans to order the jets from Airbus during the Paris Airshow last week, after the airline placed an order of 20 A330neo from the European manufacturer during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Vietnam.

OTHER AGREEMENTS-

#1- Bahrain tackles MRO at Paris Air Show: The Bahrain Airport Company signed an MoU with cargo airline and aircraft maintenance player Texel Air on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show to expand the capabilities of the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) at Bahrain International Airport, according to a statement.

What’s in the cards? The coming overhauls will reportedly comprise establishing a new Code C aircraft — with a wingspan between 24 - 36 meters — hangar covering 7k sqm as well as allocating 10k sqm for apron and handling areas, BNA reports. The planned area can handle up to three Code C aircraft or a quantity of business jets.

#2- Egypt’s flagship carrier EgyptAir has tapped US aviation solution provider Acron Aviation to kit out its upcoming Boeing 737 Max order, according to a statement. Acron Aviation will equip the 18 newbuilds with its traffic alert and collision avoidance systems as well as its cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. EgyptAir appointed Acron in the past to equip its A320 fleet.

The event will run throughout this week before wrapping up on 22 June. Here’s a rundown of our previous coverage, in case you missed it:

  • Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc is close to finalizing an order for about two dozen Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-haul destinations, and up to 50 Boeing 737s and 20 Airbus A220s for short-haul routes;
  • Malaysian airline AirAsia is set to ink an agreement for nearly 100 regional jets at the Paris Airshow, but remains undecided between Airbus’ SE A220 and Embraer SA’s E2;
  • IndiGo is eyeing a large order of 30-50 ATR 72-600 planes.
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