Riyadh Air has unveiled its interiors cabins ahead of the planned launch of scheduled flight towards the end of this year.
The Saudi Arabian carrier’s fleet of around 40 Boeing 787-9 aircraft will be configured with 290 seats across economy, premium economy, business and Business Elite classes.
At the front of the aircraft there will be a total of 28 Safran Unity business class seats, four of which are being designated as Business Elite.
All of these will be configured 1-2-1 and will offer a seat width of 22.5 inches, a 78-inch fully flat bed, 52-inch walls with sliding privacy doors, embedded headrest speakers from French firm Devialet, and AC, USB-A and USB-C charging ports.
The four Business Elite seats will be situated in row 1, and will feature a larger 32-inch 4K OLED IFE screen (compared to 22 inches in standard business), which Riyadh Air said is “the world’s largest business class screen”. The middle two seats in this row can be combined into a double bed.
Premium economy will feature 39 Recaro PL3530 seats in a 2-3-2 layout, with a 19.2-inch seat width, 38-inch pitch, a 15.6-inch IFE screen and four USB-C ports.
And finally the economy cabin will offer a total of 223 seats in a 3-3-3 layout across 26 rows, with a seat width of 17.2 inches and a pitch of 31 inches, a 13.4-inch IFE screen, a six-way adjustable headrest and two USB-C charging ports.
All customers will benefit from gate-to-gate free high-speed wifi provided by Viasat, when signing up to the carrier’s loyalty programme.
Riyadh Air said that the colours and materials used in the interiors (including lavender tones in economy and Mocha Gold metallic elements in premium classes) “reflect Saudi heritage”.
The airline recently obtained its Air Operator Certificate, and plans to announce its initial network and first flight date “in the coming months”.
Plans for the kingdom’s second flag carrier (joining Saudia) were first announced in 2023, with the airline reportedly targeting 100 destinations by 2030. Aside from Boeing 787 aircraft the airline will also operate a fleet of 60 A320neos.
Last year Riyadh Air unveiled a strategic agreement with Virgin Atlantic, paving the way for interline and codeshare connectivity and leveraging Virgin’s recently launched flights to Saudi Arabia’s capital.
And in February the carrier unveiled its Sound of a New Era “sonic brand”, which was composed at Abbey Road Studios and will be integrated into passenger touchpoints including cabin announcements, inflight entertainment, and during boarding and meal services.
Commenting on the news Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air CEO, said:
“Riyadh Air has always promised to deliver a world- class experience for our guests and the unveiling of our cabin interiors make this ambition a reality.
“The design, layout, and features of our new cabins are carefully crafted to ensure flights are as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
“From the ergonomic and luxurious fabrics in the seats to the high-end technology used in the entertainment systems, every facet of the cabins has been chosen to deliver relaxing luxury.”
