Summary
- Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, relishes the chance to construct an airline from scratch with progressive digitalization at its core.
- Riyadh Air, funded by Saudi’s PIF, prioritizes transparency, profitability, and environmental sustainability from the outset.
- The airline plans to launch operations in 2025 with a give attention to offering high-tech, connected experiences to Saudi Arabia’s young population.
It’s one thing to come back right into a struggling airline and switch things around, but quite one other to establish a clean sheet carrier from scratch. Not many CEOs get the chance to do either – definitely not each. But for Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, proving his turnaround prowess at one Middle East airline has opened the door to a dream opportunity to get it right from the beginning.
The airline that Tony built
Despite a few years in aviation and a high profile within the sector, Tony Douglas has never launched an airline before. While he did great things at Etihad, his remit there was very much to are available in and deliver transformation in five years, which he successfully achieved. However the proposition of starting an airline from scratch, with no legacy hangovers, presented the proper opportunity for the subsequent step in his profession.
Photo: Riyadh Air
Tony explained on the sidelines of the CAPA Airline Leaders Summit.
Constructing it right
Ranging from scratch means designing the most effective airline from the get-go. For Riyadh Air, which means constructing digitalization into the guts of the business, and for good reason. The 32 million-strong population of Saudi Arabia has a median age of just 29, with almost two-thirds under the age of 30. This huge cohort of ‘digital natives’ demands high-tech, connected experiences, and that’s driving some exciting innovation at Riyadh Air.
Photo: Riyadh Air
Douglas alluded to such wonders as AI check-in, superfast WiFi on board, immersive IFE, and other exciting developments. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be drawn on specifics, saying only that there can be multiple announcements over the course of the approaching 12 months. Eyeing an Air Operator Certificate in hand by the top of the 12 months, the CEO explained,
Photo: Riyadh Air
Riyadh Air has already ordered a fleet of Dreamliners ready for the launch of operations in 2025. An order for narrowbodies is coming, and the smart money is on the Boeing 737 MAX family, but Tony does prefer to surprise his observers in situations like this and noted that “it isn’t over until it’s over.”
![Riyadh Air's First Boeing 787 Flying Over Riyadh, Saudi Arabia](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/riyadh-air-1686606956778.jpg)
Tony Douglas Teases Riyadh Air Narrowbody Order Ahead Of The Dubai Airshow
Each Airbus and Boeing are reported to have been courting the to-be-launched airline for a big narrowbody order.
Transparency and profitability from the beginning
Funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), certainly one of the most important sovereign wealth funds on this planet, Riyadh Air has a firm financial footing behind it. Douglas intends to maintain it that way, describing PIF as a ‘red-blooded, capitalistic’ investor with a laser give attention to creating sustainable businesses.
Photo: Riyadh Air
![Saudia Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taking off.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_2277170551.jpg)
Saudi Arabia Pumps One other $100M Into Aviation As It Targets 250 Destinations By 2030
The Kingdom has high hopes for its tourism industry within the years to come back.
The sustainability of Riyadh Air is just not nearly funds either, but in addition about environmental sustainability. Later this 12 months, it’s going to release its first sustainability report, an initiative Tony Douglas introduced at Etihad that has helped the airline win accolades for its efforts. Yet, unlike Etihad, which only brought in sustainability reporting after well over a decade in business, Riyadh Air will embrace this transparency from the get-go.
While the launch is scheduled for around halfway through 2025, it’s clear the Riyadh Air team is just not resting on its laurels. Preparations for a smooth launch are in full swing, and Douglas is clearly relishing this chance to appreciate his vision for a greater airline.