DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s flagship startup carrier, Riyadh Air, has revealed its much-anticipated interior cabin designs for its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, setting a new benchmark in global aviation.
Poised to begin operations later in 2025, the airline is rapidly gaining international attention with its state-of-the-art guest experience that blends digital innovation, refined luxury, and cultural storytelling into a seamless travel journey.
Positioning itself as the world’s first digital-native airline, Riyadh Air promises to disrupt the legacy model with its bold design strategy and ultra-modern features. The new interiors offer consistent luxury across its wide-body fleet, with carefully selected materials, Saudi-inspired aesthetics, and market-first technologies designed to elevate every stage of the flight.
Business Class excellence
The airline’s flagship Business Elite and Business Class cabins feature fully flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, with 52-inch high walls and sliding privacy doors. Each seat spans 22.5 inches in width and stretches to a 78-inch bed, offering ergonomic support with plush, home-inspired fabrics and tufted stitching. Adjustable privacy dividers between centre seats ensure a tailored flying experience.
Business Elite guests will enjoy the world’s largest Business Class 4K OLED screen—measuring 32 inches – along with A/C power, one USB-A and two USB-C ports per seat. The centre front Business Elite seats can even be converted into a double bed. Meanwhile, standard Business Class seats include a 22-inch entertainment screen and the same high-spec charging facilities.
Both cabins incorporate integrated suite lighting and embedded Devialet headrest speakers—eliminating the need for headphones and offering a personalised, high-fidelity soundscape. This collaboration with French audio technology pioneer Devialet marks a first-of-its-kind move in commercial aviation.
Premium and Economy redefined
Riyadh Air’s Premium Economy section houses 39 seats across six rows in a 2-3-2 formation. With a generous 38-inch pitch and 19.2-inch width, the Recaro PL3530 seats are equipped with privacy head wings, calf rests, additional seat storage, and 15.6-inch 4K OLED screens. Passengers will also benefit from four USB-C charging ports per seat.
Economy travellers, seated in a 3-3-3 layout, can expect 31 inches of legroom and a 17.2-inch seat width. The Recaro R3 seats include 6-way adjustable headrests and a 13.4-inch 4K OLED touchscreen – unusually large for the cabin class. Each seat offers two USB-C charging ports.
Lavender-themed interiors distinguish the Economy cabin, while Premium classes are adorned with rich Mocha Gold accents and veined stone textures. The palette across all cabins is a carefully composed blend of dark indigo, mocha, skyline blue, sunset peach, and iridescent tones, nodding to the elegance of Riyadh’s heritage and modernity.
Technology onboard
Entertainment and connectivity are central to Riyadh Air’s guest promise. All seats are equipped with high-definition OLED screens – the largest currently available in each class – and access to live TV via Viasat’s global satellite network. Guests signed up to the airline’s loyalty programme will enjoy complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi from gate to gate, with access to streaming, browsing, social media, and gaming services.
Riyadh Air is also the first airline globally to integrate Panasonic Avionics’ Modular Interactive (MI) system, a dynamic in-flight engagement tool allowing real-time updates and seasonal content customisation.
The advanced lighting system adjusts to natural circadian rhythms, helping passengers acclimate to time zones and reduce jet lag. Across every cabin, Riyadh Air’s use of intelligent lighting and acoustic zoning ensures a tranquil yet stimulating ambience throughout long-haul flights.
Consistent fleet experience
All Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in Riyadh Air’s fleet will feature the exact same cabin specifications. This consistency guarantees passengers a uniform experience, regardless of aircraft. The total capacity per aircraft will be 290 guests, divided as follows: 4 in Business Elite, 24 in Business, 39 in Premium Economy, and 223 in Economy.
Each seat and suite reflects a meticulous design philosophy—balancing cutting-edge technology with refined aesthetics and comfort. From the canopy twist patterns referencing Arabic tents to the nuanced colour shifts and tactile fabric finishes, every detail has been chosen to represent Riyadh’s cultural identity in a future-focused travel experience.
The carrier’s fully flat-bed Business seats – developed by Safran Unity—boast one of the tallest privacy walls in the industry at 52 inches. Meanwhile, seats in other classes – whether Recaro PL3530 or R3 – have been custom-built to Riyadh Air’s specifications, ensuring comfort levels surpass industry norms.
Future ready airline
Having secured its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and received its first technical spare aircraft, Riyadh Air is now preparing for the next stage of its journey. The airline is expected to reveal its global network and inaugural flight date in the coming months. Simultaneously, Riyadh Air is finalising the third version of its digital customer journey platform, setting the stage for a truly seamless end-to-end booking and travel experience.