Riyadh Air orders 34 widebodies from Airbus + Boeing

Riyadh Air ordered 34 widebodies from Airbus and Boeing, committing to 28 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 20 of them the larger 787-10, and six Airbus A350-1000s, the carrier said. The 28 Dreamliners are options exercised from its 2023 Boeing order, while the six A350-1000s firm up existing purchase rights and lift its confirmed orders for that model to 31.

Why this matters: The widebodies build toward Riyadh Air’s target of more than 100 destinations by 2030. The Kingdom aims to diversify its economy beyond oil and establish Riyadh as one of the Middle East’s main competing hubs. Committing to both Boeing and Airbus widebodies at once, rather than standardizing on one airframe, gives the airline capacity for denser long-haul routes.