Aircraft delivery delays have caused Riyadh Air (RXI, Riyadh) to push back launch plans from the first quarter of 2025 to sometime in the third quarter, according to Bloomberg. The state-owned start-up had hoped to have eight B787-9 delivered throughout 2025, but Boeing has advised it to expect around four.
"I am confident, given the latest forecast, that we’ll get deliveries this year," CEO Tony Douglas told the newswire. "Is it completely without risk? Obviously no, it’s not."
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Riyadh Air has thirty-nine B787-9s on order, along with sixty A321-200Ns from Airbus.
"Riyadh Air remains on track for launch in 2025 despite industry challenges and is looking forward to its first flight in 2025," an airline spokesperson told ch-aviation. "The arrival of the first B787-9 will allow operations to commence as soon as possible, and we remain in close contact with our colleagues at Boeing with the aim to receive delivery of a number of aircraft later this year. Major parts of the first aircraft are already prepared for final assembly and given well-known global supply chain challenges, we expect delivery to start in the third quarter, facilitating the start of operations soon after.”
A Boeing spokesperson told ch-aviation: "We continue to work closely with Riyadh Air on their delivery schedule and look forward to supporting Riyadh’s inaugural operations.”
Boeing delivered fifteen B787 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 51 across the calendar year. This compares to twenty-three deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 73 in total that year. The production slowdown is due to various factors including supply chain delays, increased regulatory oversight, and a mechanics strike.
