Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national airline, has just unveiled its livery… and it’s kind of amazing!
In this post:
Riyadh Air shows off first of two livery designs
Riyadh Air has today unveiled what’s being called the first of two livery designs, described as “a perfect blend of cutting-edge technology and timeless elegance.” The livery is being shown off on a Boeing 787-9, which the airline has ordered up to 72 of (including 39 firm orders and 33 options).
It’s not entirely clear yet if Riyadh Air plans to have a fleet with two different kinds of liveries, or if the airline is still deciding between the liveries, and is just showing off the first version.
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 will most definitely stand out, as the carrier’s livery is purple and blue, with all kinds of cool visual effects. “RIYADH AIR” is written in big letters across the fuselage in white, and the carrier’s logo is on the tail and engines.
Liveries tend to greatly divide people. Some people may think a new livery is the great thing ever, while others think it’s awful. Personally I think this is one of the coolest airline liveries out there. It’s unique, it’s modern, and it’s really pretty! At least that’s my take…
Expect Riyadh Air to launch in 2024
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 rumor has it that a Boeing 737 order could be imminent as well. As of now the plan is for Riyadh Air to launch flights in 2024, 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 unveiled its livery, on a Boeing 787 that’s fresh out of the paint shop. I have to say, this is easily one of my favorite liveries I’ve ever seen — it’s bold, modern, and unique. I’m looking forward to learning more about the airline, including what the interiors of these jets will be like.
What do you make of Riyadh Air’s 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!
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.
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’?
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?
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.
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