With a twist Saudi Arabia’s start-up airline will also serve popular Riyadh-Dubai route as part of its initial network. The maiden flight from the Saudi capital to Europe’s busiest airport will carry paying passengers who are employees of the airline and its owner the Public Investment Fund (PIF), through a “launch membership” programme, Riyadh Air’s chief executive Tony Douglas said.
The Riyadh-Heathrow route will be a daily scheduled service, which the airline is starting in time for the northern winter season.
Ticket sales to the public will not begin until the start-up airline takes delivery of its first two 787 Dreamliners from the US plane maker, “weeks after” the October 26 flight date, Mr Douglas told The National. He declined to provide specific dates.
Meanwhile, flights for the “launch members” will begin on Riyadh Air’s technical spare aircraft, dubbed Jamila. Airline and PIF staff, along with their families, will be eligible to buy tickets through the loyalty programme, Sfeer, and will be surveyed for customer experience feedback.
“How do you stand up an airline from zero without testing absolutely everything?” Mr Douglas said. “We’re going to survey them on all the touch points across the guest experience.”
Riyadh Air’s launch strategy includes testing the passenger flights and mitigating the potential risk of jet delivery delays after general tickets have been issued.
“Until you’ve tested and trialled everything, if you go ‘big bang’ on day one and assume absolutely everything will work perfectly on the first day, the reality is it won’t … so we will use that period to make sure the feedback will give us the opportunity to polish every last little detail before I actually sell a ticket to you,” Mr Douglas said.
