Riyadh Air plans wide-body jet order next year

Saudi Arabia's new national airline, Riyadh Air, plans next year to order wide-body aircraft capable of seating more than 300 passengers, its chief financial officer said on Thursday. The order would be the third for the airline, which was created last year and plans to operate its first flights in the summer of 2025.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sees aviation as a key component of his "Vision 2030" reform agenda to remake the petroleum-dominated country, aiming to more than triple annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the end of the decade. Riyadh Air expects to serve 100 routes by 2030 and more than 120 by 2035.