Riyadh Air is moving closer to launching commercial operations with the introduction of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from its own order book. The aircraft, built at Boeing’s Charleston, South Carolina facility, has completed its initial B1 test flight in the United States as part of the manufacturer’s standard certification program, according to the airline and industry reports.
Following US-based testing and certification, the aircraft is due to transfer to Riyadh Air for further proving and familiarization flights operated by the carrier’s pilots. Company executives have indicated that the first in-house 787-9 is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia around mid-December, after which it is planned to be deployed on services to London Heathrow.
Riyadh Air has already begun limited-access proving flights using a leased Oman Air 787-9, named Jamila, to refine onboard service and ground operations. Once the first owned 787-9 enters service on the London route, the leased aircraft is scheduled to operate a Riyadh–Dubai rotation before reverting to a backup role as additional Dreamliners join the fleet.
The airline ultimately plans a fleet of 39 Boeing 787-9s, alongside Airbus A321neo and A350-1000 aircraft, as part of a growth strategy targeting 100 destinations by 2030.