Riyadh Air is studying a Riyadh Air Boeing 787 order expansion of between 25 and 30 additional Dreamliners, according to industry sources cited by Reuters, in a move that would substantially increase the Saudi carrier’s firm widebody commitment less than two months after it entered revenue service.
The potential deal would be structured largely through the conversion of existing purchase options rather than a fresh order. An announcement could come as early as the Farnborough International Airshow, which opens on 20 July 2026, though sources cautioned that discussions are continuing. Riyadh Air and Boeing declined to comment.
Scale of the potential Riyadh Air Boeing 787 order conversion
When Riyadh Air signed its original agreement in 2023, it committed to a package amounting to up to 72 Dreamliners in total, 39 firm orders for the 787-9 variant and options covering a further 33 aircraft, according to Yahoo Finance. Exercising 25 to 30 of those options would lift its firm Dreamliner commitment to between 64 and 69 aircraft, while leaving as many as eight options unconverted.
The arithmetic gives a clear sense of how far the carrier has moved since its founding. From a 39-aircraft firm base at inception, the airline is now considering locking in a fleet backbone of roughly twice that size, before it has completed even its first full month of commercial flying.
Fleet build-out and network ambitions
Riyadh Air launched revenue service in June 2026, operating its first commercial flight to London Heathrow on the 787-9. Chief Executive Tony Douglas stated at the time that deliveries would grow the fleet to eight aircraft by the end of July and position the airline to serve 22 destinations by March 2027.
The 787-9s have been configured with 290 seats across business, premium economy and economy cabins, forming the core of the carrier’s initial long-haul operation. Longer term, Riyadh Air plans to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030 as Saudi Arabia continues its investment in aviation and tourism infrastructure.
The airline has also accumulated a substantial Airbus order book running alongside its Boeing commitments. In 2024 it ordered 60 Airbus A321neo-family narrowbodies, and at the Paris Air Show in June 2025 it signed a firm agreement for 25 A350-1000 widebody jets, with options for a further 25 of the type. Reuters reported that Riyadh Air is also considering converting some of those Airbus purchase rights into firm orders, though no figure has been disclosed. Across both manufacturers, the carrier currently lists a planned fleet of as many as 182 aircraft, encompassing firm orders and options on the 787-9, A350-1000 and A321neo.
The A350-1000, which offers greater passenger capacity than the 787-9, is positioned to add seat supply as Riyadh Air extends its international network beyond the initial wave of routes. The combination of widebodies from both manufacturers would give the airline flexibility across varying route lengths and demand levels as it scales toward its 2030 network target.
Riyadh Air is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and was established in 2023 as the kingdom’s second national airline alongside Saudia.
If confirmed at Farnborough, the Boeing option conversions would represent one of the more consequential order announcements at the airshow, adding dozens of firm 787 units to Boeing’s backlog at a time when demand for widebody capacity across the Gulf region remains robust. The airshow opens on 20 July 2026.
