A digital-native disruptor with global ambition, Riyadh Air, under the leadership of Tony Douglas, is fusing tech innovation, luxury, and Saudi spirit to create the next great force in aviation.
There’s a new force in global aviation, and it’s arriving at cruising altitude with purpose, elegance, and cutting-edge tech. Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new flagship airline, isn’t just another new carrier. It’s creating a new standard for travel in a digital-native, experience-driven world.
Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and led by aviation industry heavyweight Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air is being launched with a strategic design. Its ambition is bold: to connect Saudi Arabia to over 100 global destinations by 2030, while delivering a reimagined premium experience that fuses Saudi hospitality with modern digital sophistication.
What makes Riyadh Air remarkable is what it lacks: legacy. While traditional airlines wrestle with outdated systems and incremental innovation, Riyadh Air is starting from scratch—and that’s precisely its superpower.
“We have the gift of a blank canvas,” says Douglas. “While legacy airlines are trying to retrofit digital layers onto old systems, we’ve built Riyadh Air as a digital native from day one.”
This digital-first DNA isn’t just a tech boast—it’s the engine of the brand. From its app-based offer-order platform to hyper-personalized experiences powered by AI, Riyadh Air is an airline conceived as a concierge, not just a carrier. If a customer books a flight to Madrid, the system might recommend soccer tickets, luxury hotel stays, or curated family experiences—all seamlessly integrated into a digital basket. It’s a sharp commercial strategy. As Douglas points out, online travel booking platforms command valuations that exceed those of even the world’s best-run airlines. Riyadh Air’s goal is not to imitate them, but to become, in Douglas’s words, “a digitally led business that enables travel.”
Riyadh Air is crafting its brand with extraordinary precision. From the deep indigo livery of its first aircraft, Jamila (“The Beautiful One”), to the crew uniforms unveiled at Haute Couture Week in Paris by designer Mohammed Ashi, everything signals a return to glamour with a sharp modern edge. The airline’s “Sound of a New Era” sonic identity was even recorded at Abbey Road Studios by the Saudi National Orchestra and London Philharmonic—an attempt to elevate emotion as much as brand equity. This sense of lifestyle ambition extends beyond the cabin: Riyadh Air is the headline sponsor of Atlético de Madrid—its stadium was recently renamed Riyadh Air Metropolitano—and the global airline partner of LIV Golf, aligning the carrier with leading sports brands with cultural influence.
What’s emerging is an airline that channels the elegance of aviation’s golden age through the lens of modern, globally connected Saudi Arabia—refined, youthful, and ambitious. With a fleet of over 130 aircraft on order, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A321neos, commercial routes will begin later this year, with a sharp acceleration in growth expected.
“Riyadh Air was designed as a concierge, not just a carrier—powered by AI, built for the digital age.”
Tony Douglas, CEO Riyadh Air
Riyadh Air’s growing ecosystem of global airline alliances includes strategic partnerships with Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, China Eastern, and EgyptAir. To ensure seamless integration, Riyadh Air has developed a proprietary “legacy translator”—a digital bridge that allows its next-gen platform to interface fluently with older airline systems. In practice, a Riyadh Air customer booking a trip experiences their journey as a unified, personalized itinerary.
Riyadh Air isn’t only about digital capabilities and network size; it’s also about redefining the travel experience. The cabin crew will know each customer’s preferences before they board, and every interaction, every detail, is designed to deliver precision with warmth.
And people are already buying in: over 1.4 million applicants from 146 nationalities have already registered their interest in joining the airline, 52% of them women. That level of global attention, even before launch, speaks volumes about Riyadh Air’s magnetism.
The future of travel isn’t about legacy—it’s about vision. And that vision is now taking flight.
How are you building Saudi talent?
From day one, we have made talent a core pillar. Aviation is a brilliant ecosystem—it touches engineering, hospitality, digital, commercial. We’ve launched everything from cadet pilot programs to graduate tracks, and a three-year Saudi female technician program that we’re incredibly proud of. This isn’t box-ticking—it’s nation-building.
What does sustainability mean to the airline?
It’s not a bolt-on—it’s baked in. From smart sourcing to digital meal pre-selection that cuts waste and reduces fuel burn, we’re using tech to do better by the planet. It’s about designing smarter systems that are good for guests and good for emissions. That’s the real win-win.
How is Riyadh Air different from legacy carriers?
It’s night and day. There’s no drag from old systems, no friction from outdated models. We’re not layering digital on top—we’re building it into the core. Every product, every partnership, every line of code is born in the now. That’s liberating—and incredibly powerful.
Your biggest personal takeaway from this journey?
Momentum is everything. In a startup, every day is a first. You’re constantly moving, testing, learning. It keeps you sharp, humble, and focused on what matters: building something that actually moves the needle.
As published in Fortune magazine.
