While details remain limited as of now, Saudia has announced plans to introduce new aircraft interiors throughout its wide body fleet. Yes, that’s not just for newly delivered aircraft, but also for existing ones.
Saudia partners with Collins Aerospace on new cabin interiors
Saudia and Collins Aerospace have signed an agreement, intended to elevate the passenger experience for Saudia passengers. Based on what we know so far:
- New interiors will be installed on Saudia’s upcoming Boeing 787 order (comprised of 787-9s and 787-10s), with planes due to be delivered as of early 2026
- Saudia will aggressively retrofit its existing wide body fleet, including Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s; this project will take place between late 2025 and late 2027
- Saudia claims that the business class cabins across the carrier’s wide body fleet will consist of private suites; separate from this, Saudia is introducing a new business class suite on its upcoming Airbus A321XLRs
What’s not entirely clear to me is to what extent the existing wide body fleet will be retrofitted. For example, there’s no mention of existing 787s being reconfigured. Furthermore, will we just see 777s with long haul interiors reconfigured, or also those that primarily operate shorter flights?
Okay, admittedly Saudia isn’t a first choice among many of us in the West, but there’s no denying that the airline has been investing in its passenger experience, and it’s nice to see this latest announcement as well. Competition in Saudi Arabia is heating up, with Riyadh Air expected to launch in 2025.
What new business class could Saudia introduce?
Saudia has a long history of partnering with Collins Aerospace on its interiors. For example, many of Saudia’s wide body aircraft have Collins Aerospace Diamond seats, which are in a 2-2-2 configuration. These are primarily used for short and medium haul routes.
Meanwhile many of Saudia’s 777s and 787s feature Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats, which are in a 1-2-1 configuration. These are primarily used for long haul routes.
With that in mind, what can we expect from the new product? All we can do is speculate as of now. While it’s possible that Saudia and Collins Aerospace partner on some newly designed seat, that seems unlikely to me.
Rather, I suspect that Saudia may select the Collins Aerospace Elements seat. This is an evolution of the Super Diamond seat, as it’s a reverse herringbone seat with a door. The launch customer for this product was Starlux on its A350s. I had the chance to try this product, and it’s exceptional, among my favorite business class seats out there. The second airline to offer these seats is Etihad on its newly delivered 787s.
While this product can easily be installed on 777s and 787s, I’m not sure how this installation would work on an A330, given the narrow fuselage. Perhaps they’ll come up with a custom solution there.
Bottom line
Saudia is partnering with Collins Aerospace on new aircraft interiors. These will be installed on newly delivered 787s as of early 2026, and will also be retrofitted on existing 777s and A330s as of late 2025. It’s nice to see the airline investing in its passenger experience. I’m curious to see what product Saudia selects — the Collins Aerospace Elements seat seems most likely, but who knows.
What are you expecting from Saudia’s new business class product?
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