“Riyadh Air Soars at Paris: Secures Landmark Deal for 100 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 Engines!”
Riyadh Air, the burgeoning national carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has today solidified a deal at the 55th Edition of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget with Rolls-Royce for 100 Trent XWB-97 engines to bolster its fleet of as many as 50 Airbus A350-1000, following a notification made yesterday.
The agreement was signed by Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer of Riyadh Air, alongside Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer at Rolls-Royce, in the presence of Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, and Rob Watson, President of Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce.
At the same time, a Memorandum of Understanding was also initiated for Rolls-Royce’s comprehensive TotalCare service, which will oversee the performance and maintenance of the engines. The Trent XWB-97 engine is hailed as the world’s most efficient large aero-engine, specifically designed for the Airbus A350-1000, and will support Riyadh Air in its aim to serve over 100 global destinations by 2030. The airline, which presently has fleet orders amounting to 182 aircraft across three distinct fleet classifications, is expected to commence its operations later in 2025.
The A350-1000 aircraft, powered by the Trent XWB-97 engines, will facilitate the expansion of Riyadh Air’s network to far-reaching locations globally, enhancing range and capacity to ensure that Riyadh, a G20 capital city, stays fully connected worldwide, fulfilling the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Having procured its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) earlier in 2025, Riyadh Air is making impressive progress as it gears up for its inaugural flight later this year.
Adam Boukadida, CFO of Riyadh Air, commented: “The growth of Riyadh Air is essential for the advancement of Saudi Arabia as an aviation hub, and collaborating with premier brands like Rolls-Royce to power our future Airbus large wide-body fleet ensures we have outstanding partners to meet our ambitions. This arrangement for 100 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines to boost our Airbus A350-1000 fleet is immensely significant as it propels us closer to realizing our long-term vision of enhanced global connectivity for Riyadh. Our goal is to provide an unmatched guest experience linked to a world-class network and offer our travelers endless opportunities to fly directly to major international hubs.”
Rob Watson, President of Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, stated: “We’re excited to back Riyadh Air’s substantial growth initiatives in its launch year. The Trent XWB-97 is an outstanding engine, and our TotalCare package will guarantee operational reliability throughout the fleet. The engine will benefit from the £1bn investment we’re dedicating to the Trent engine series, which maximizes their longevity and efficiency across all operations. We look forward to supporting these new aircraft as they prepare for operational service.”
This alliance emphasizes Riyadh Air’s commitment to innovation, comfort, and premium service, enhancing every aspect of the travel experience for its passengers. Riyadh Air is persistently redefining luxury travel, driven by a mission to connect the world with Saudi Arabia’s hospitality and visionary future.
