Saudi Arabia is expanding its aviation sector with plans for two additional airlines, bringing the total number of carriers to seven as part of its ambitious Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. Speaking at the Cityscape Global conference, Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin revealed the expansion plans, which complement existing carriers Saudia, Riyadh Air, flynas, and flyadeal.
Riyadh Air has unveiled Riyadh Cargo as its freighter operations division, marking the beginning of belly-hold cargo flights across its wide-body aircraft fleet. According to AeroTime, the new service is a 'core pillar' of the airline's commercial operations, reflecting a deliberate approach to building a scalable and integrated cargo business.
Riyadh Air has partnered with Neo Space Group to provide inflight Wi-Fi for its Airbus A321neo fleet, starting Q4 2026. The service will offer speeds of up to 300 Mbps using HBC+ hardware and a Thinkom Ka2517 antenna.
Riyadh Air has completed its first test flight on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at Boeing's Charleston facility in South Carolina. The aircraft took off as part of standard certification procedures, marking an important step towards operational readiness for the Middle Eastern carrier.
AeroTime reports on Day 3 of Dubai Airshow 2025, where Airbus and Boeing secured major commercial aircraft orders. Emirates ordered eight more A350-900s, while Buraq Air selected the A320neo family for its first jet-type.