Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, which has big growth plans. There are many things that are unique about the airline, including that it plans to have two liveries. Back in June 2023, the airline revealed its first livery, and now the airline has revealed its second livery.
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Riyadh Air shows off two livery designs
In June 2023, Riyadh Air showed off its first of two livery designs, which the company described as “a perfect blend of cutting-edge technology and timeless elegance.” The livery was being shown off on a Boeing 787-9, which the airline has ordered up to 72 of (including 39 firm orders and 33 options).
We’ve known that the airline would be introducing a second livery soon, and that has finally happened, as it has been unveiled today. It’s interesting, because for the second livery, the tail and engines basically looks identical. The major difference is that most of the body of the aircraft is white, rather than purple.
It’s not entirely clear yet how Riyadh Air intends to implement these two liveries. It’s expected that the airline will fly at least two aircraft types, so will one type of plane in the fleet get one livery, and the other type of plane in the fleet will get the other livery? Or will each type of aircraft have some planes with both liveries?
A lot of airlines have gotten less creative with their liveries over the years. Many airlines have the same livery concept, with a white fuselage, bold letters, and a logo with some art on the tail. So Riyadh Air planes with the first kind of livery will most definitely stand out, given the purple and blue colors, with all kinds of cool visual effects.
Liveries tend to greatly divide people. Some people may think a new livery is the greatest thing ever, while others think it’s awful. Personally I think the first livery is one of the coolest out there. It’s unique, it’s modern, and it’s really pretty! At least that’s my take. However, I’m not sure I get the logic of having a second livery that’s basically just a toned down version of the first one.
Expect Riyadh Air to launch operations in 2025
For some context, Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, and it’s a key part of the country’s goal of greatly increasing tourism. The plan is to make Riyadh Air the size of Emirates, but in a small fraction of the time. The airline has ordered Boeing 787s so far, and it’s expected that a Boeing 737 order will be placed soon as well. As of now the plan is for Riyadh Air to launch flights in 2025, though details beyond that remain pretty limited.
There are certainly some major questions about Riyadh Air. Why establish a second national airline that competes with the existing national airline, rather than just growing the existing one? Can this airline really make money?
One thing is for sure, though. Saudi Arabia is serious about launching this airline, and the company has recruited an incredible amount of talent from all over the industry to run this airline. It’s amazing how many people who I respect have quit their senior jobs at other airlines to pursue opportunities with Riyadh Air.
So the airline has a lot of talent working in Riyadh, though there are no doubt some other major hurdles to overcome, not the least of which is normalizing travel to and through Saudi Arabia for the average person who isn’t from the region.
Bottom line
Riyadh Air has now unveiled both of its aircraft liveries. The first livery is easily one of my favorite aircraft liveries that I’ve ever seen — it’s bold, modern, and unique. The second livery, meanwhile, is just a toned down version of the first livery, so I’m not sure exactly what purpose that serves.
I can’t wait to learn more details about the airline, and in particular, about the passenger experience.
What do you make of Riyadh Air’s two liveries?
I think they should either paint the entire fleet in the white livery or make the purple livery a one-off and have the rest of the fleet be white like Air New Zealand. I picture that in a few years time, the purple livery is going to look really faded after being exposed to the Saudi Arabian sun.
This is gonna look really funky when parts are swapped between aircraft with the two liveries. Personally I'm looking forward to a white 787 with a purple nose :)
There are a few reasons why Saudi Arabia is choosing to launch a new airline rather than expand Saudia.
One of the reasons which I imagine is a big one is that Saudia has huge brand recognition around the world to Muslims. In Islam, it is obligatory for a Muslim to preform Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca and Medina at least once in their lifetime (if they are able). As a result, Saudia has been carrying...
There are a few reasons why Saudi Arabia is choosing to launch a new airline rather than expand Saudia.
One of the reasons which I imagine is a big one is that Saudia has huge brand recognition around the world to Muslims. In Islam, it is obligatory for a Muslim to preform Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca and Medina at least once in their lifetime (if they are able). As a result, Saudia has been carrying a large number of those passengers since the airline was created. The Saudi government likely doesn't want to change that brand to a more liberal airline and lose those passengers.
I believe the plan for the new national airline is to serve alcohol to be able to compete with EK, EY, QR, etc. If Saudia was to do that, some may view it as them compromising their religious values for monetary gain (which is somewhat true, as they are trying to bring more travellers to the region). Saudia also heavily edits its in-flight movies (to the point where you can't even get the storyline of some films). The new airline won't be able to become the size of Emirates without changing these policies. However, changing these policies at Saudia may cause the airline to lose some loyal Hajj and Umrah passengers. Rather than have that image of changing Saudia, it makes sense to launch a new airline with a new brand. I assume they will slowly take over some Saudia markets as well.
Much more practical color in the Arabian sun.
Reminds me of Air New Zealand with the two different livery.
Why no airbus?
Much safer planes
Not for me
What a great scheme!!...Makes a great change from all those 'tail-dip' ones!!
I make 1/144th Airliner kits so hopefully someone will make a set of decals for a Dreamliner!!
Logo looks why too much like Rolls Royce but the color scheme and livery is excellent overall!
Which is ironic because they'll be using GEnx engines for their 787s.
Awful branding. Also why use blue again when Saudia already uses it - especially this is geared to tourism and Saudia Arabia is more associated with the colour green.
I don't care what it looks like. It's from a country I despise for It's corruption and monarchic excess. I'd never give a penny to that airline or It's national regime.
Same. I don't plan to fly Qsuites ever. Qatar human rights violations.
By that logic, one should never fly any of the US airlines either.
I can't speak for all of the senior management announced so far, but the assertion that "the company has recruited an incredible amount of talent from all over the industry to run this airline" ignores the fact that the COO is talentless plagiarist Peter Bellew - good luck to the airline and all of the employees under him.
That's an absolute mess. Too much - big text, swooping lines - none of it fits together as a cohesive aesthetic. Someone with negligible design background had too much fun in Adobe Illustrator
It looks like the special livery on one of Etihad's 787 Dreamliner.
Looks way too busy. Agree with others it looks more like an LCC than a luxury airline.
FWIW, I always thought that the Saudia design was quite nice.
C+. I do like the choice of colors on the livery. Their shade of dark blue is unique. However, something about those diagonal texture lines on the back part of the fuselage makes it look a bit off to me. It makes it look kind of tacky. It sort of reminds me of those lines on the Northern Pacific livery or the Emirates new livery, neither of which I’m a fan of. The titles are...
C+. I do like the choice of colors on the livery. Their shade of dark blue is unique. However, something about those diagonal texture lines on the back part of the fuselage makes it look a bit off to me. It makes it look kind of tacky. It sort of reminds me of those lines on the Northern Pacific livery or the Emirates new livery, neither of which I’m a fan of. The titles are too large and the way the English and Arabic text are clustered towards the front like that makes it look more like a LCC than the luxury carrier they’re trying to be. Either make it smaller or put the Arabic text besides the English text instead. And the logo itself is fine, it’s not bad, just a bit boring. They could have been more creative and used symbols that better represent Riyadh or something. Finally, while the tail looks fine, I think it would look better with the logo more zoomed in and the R being flipped on one side so that the curved side will face forwards on both sides.
Definitely should be a lighter color based on their geography.
I could just be ignorant, but I don’t see how this colour scheme or livery design is very ‘Saudi’ or Riyadh’?
I suspect they want something *different* than what most westerners think "Saudi" might be...
They should have gone for an image of MBS with a bone saw.
The photographs certainly don't do it justice, with all the reflections from the overhead lighting. I'd be okay with nearly anything that dares to venture away from the generic white billboards that many airlines have, but I'd like to see this livery without the chickenpox.
Too dark and too hot (temperature).
If I’m perfectly honest I am more interested in the champagne brands they’ll be offering influght.
Armand Brignac
Probably not
It’s Saudi Arabia.
They’ll build their own domestic wine region, sell it for $$$$$$$ list price and then pay a few influencers+media to hype it up. Then serve it onboard.
Has it been officially announced that alcohol will be permitted? And how do we know they wont do a last minute uturn like Qatar did regarding selling beer at the recent World Cup
How will this dark color perform under the middle east sun? Arabia is not new zealand
I think this is the other livery
https://twitter.com/SAMalghofiry/status/1663637372372656129?s=20
Looks nice, but kinda cheap. Etihad still has the classiest livery.
The “R” on the engine makes one think of Rolls-Royce.
That was my first thought too, will there be a trademark fight?
Love it!
Bold and beautiful! In a world of overly white and gray airplanes I like the KLM vibes. More fun to be disliked than ignored for being indistinguishable from so many other liveries, I'd say.
It’s nice, but it looks more like a private jet. Would have been more visually striking if the 3D graphic continued all the way up the horizontal stabilizer, the tail and logo are rather bland.
If livery divides people, then we have more problems in this world than we should. Good heavens.
I thought the same thing. I’ve never been that serious about a livery to divide me.
Looks pretty, but not necessarily super classy, which doesn’t really align with their desire to compete with Emirates/Qatar. Still, I like how unique it is.
But a very dark livery in the Saudi Arabian desert is going to fade rapidly and heat up the planes on the ground. That’s why US Airways dropped their dark livery when they got America West’s Phoenix hub, the Arizona sun made the livery a nightmare. But when money is no object, maybe that doesn’t matter.
Fully agree! Then they will just like QR (tried to) did with Airbus and try to prosecute Boeing for paint issues.
US Airways plane were aluminum not plastic…
It looks like it belongs to a football or hockey team.
And here comes the emergence of the next artificial tourist destinations and transit hub out of Middle East. The lack of soul in Qatar and UAE wasn’t enough
Hopefully the transformation of Air India would be sufficient enough, alongside a change in the immigration rules, to attract more travellers via India then these amusement parks of countries
UAE, Qatar and Saudi are way more attractive, safer and developed than India so keep dreaming.
Attractive for what? A mall, very artificial “cultural village” and some amusement parks?
Developed on what level? Going to the downtown Dubai where you will only find hotels and malls and more hotels? Have you ever visited Bur Dubai (the real Dubai)?
My point is not about which has more concrete towers or developed. It’s about a country which has no history or cultural meaning while trying to artificially purchase influence.
Don’t tell...
Attractive for what? A mall, very artificial “cultural village” and some amusement parks?
Developed on what level? Going to the downtown Dubai where you will only find hotels and malls and more hotels? Have you ever visited Bur Dubai (the real Dubai)?
My point is not about which has more concrete towers or developed. It’s about a country which has no history or cultural meaning while trying to artificially purchase influence.
Don’t tell me you prefer travelling Middle East cities over a historically and culturally rich country like India? That clearly says you are terrible at travelling.
These 'artificial' places are at least clean. India is not..... (and yes I've been there VERY recently).
@Eve
You have a hideously overinflated valuation of your own opinion. Who the hell are YOU, internet nobody, to tell anyone else what they should value in traveling?
I would've agreed with you if least you brought any country other than India as an example of your opinion. Go to India and deal with the cleannesss issue just to see their culture? Hell nah. If only two choices are available - India or "rich" Middle East - I'm definitely choosing Middle East.
I'm pretty sure you've never been to any Middle Eastern countries before. They have their cultures, just like any other...
I would've agreed with you if least you brought any country other than India as an example of your opinion. Go to India and deal with the cleannesss issue just to see their culture? Hell nah. If only two choices are available - India or "rich" Middle East - I'm definitely choosing Middle East.
I'm pretty sure you've never been to any Middle Eastern countries before. They have their cultures, just like any other countries. Sounds like you don't consider am art, an architecture, a cuisine, a clothing and a music and much more as a "culture". If it is, then what else does a country need to have in order to be considered as a country with a "culture?"
Spot on, Eve. People (often the ones less traveled) forget this is about character and personality rather than blingy world of make believe plastic realities or country’s economic index. If India makes good transit policies and upgrades some airports, no reason for these Vegas style sensory overloads to exist.
India already spent a lot in upgrading most major airports in last decade or so. Still lack of great business class lounges and bathrooms that aren't filthy! Still prefer Doha (Al Mourjan!) or Dubai anyday!
Saudi Arabia has a number of beautiful historic sites, a massive desert to explore, and fantastic infrastructure, not to mention over a millennia of pilgrims coming to Mecca. I would say, until the very recent introduction of the Saudi tourist visa, that it was more of a Bhutan-like situation of limited access.
I think India has a huge amount of work to do if it wants to become a transit hub.
eVisa process is ridiculously painful. Lines for eVisa arrivals at every airport are insanely long and immigration personnel unwelcoming to the extreme. Add to that the very unpleasant security checks on the out and the manic traffic into and out of the airport, and you get a very chaotic experience.
My preference for a...
I think India has a huge amount of work to do if it wants to become a transit hub.
eVisa process is ridiculously painful. Lines for eVisa arrivals at every airport are insanely long and immigration personnel unwelcoming to the extreme. Add to that the very unpleasant security checks on the out and the manic traffic into and out of the airport, and you get a very chaotic experience.
My preference for a hub remains HK, Singapore, Bangkok or KL. The infrastructure ranges from decent to very good, and the cities themselves are lively and exciting.
coming from someone that wants the airline to succeed, i think it looks awful. it makes it look like an lcc
idk about this one chief