Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, Riyadh Air, has unveiled the interiors of its debut aircraft, offering a glimpse into its tech-forward and culturally inspired in-flight experience. The airline, which is set to commence operations later this year, is positioning itself as the world’s first fully digital-native airline.
The cabin interiors were developed in collaboration with renowned design consultancy PriestmanGoode, which was tasked with creating both the airline’s brand identity and cabin environment. The design reflects Riyadh Air’s ambition to emerge as a premium global airline rooted in Saudi culture while leveraging cutting-edge aviation technology.
With no legacy systems to constrain its development, Riyadh Air embraced the opportunity to start fresh. “Unlike existing carriers with decades of brand history to observe, Riyadh Air was starting from a blank slate,” said Ben Rowan, Director at PriestmanGoode. “This was both an opportunity and a challenge: the freedom to shape something entirely new, but also the responsibility to create a design language that would resonate with passengers and stand the test of time.”
The aircraft interiors have been built around three key design pillars: comfort, technology, and longevity. The result is a 290-seat configuration aboard its Boeing 787-9 fleet, distributed across four classes: Business Elite, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy.
Business Elite and Business Class will each feature 28 lie-flat Safran Unity seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. These seats stretch 78 inches in length and 22.5 inches in width, with 52-inch-high privacy walls and sliding doors for enhanced exclusivity.
Premium Economy will house 39 seats in a 2-3-2 layout with a generous 38-inch seat pitch, while Economy will offer 223 seats in a standard 3-3-3 configuration with a 31-inch pitch.
A unique “canopy twist” design motif, inspired by local Saudi architecture, is integrated across the cabin interiors, acting as a unifying aesthetic across all classes. This motif also extends to the airline’s branding and livery, reinforcing its cultural identity.
Technology plays a central role in the passenger experience. Riyadh Air will feature some of the largest in-flight entertainment screens in the industry, with 32-inch 4K OLED displays in Business Elite, 22-inch in Business Class, 15.6-inch in Premium Economy, and 13.3-inch in Economy. Additionally, the airline will offer complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi for members of its loyalty program.
A partnership with premium French audio brand Devialet will see high-end speakers integrated directly into Business Class headrests, enhancing audio quality without the need for traditional headphones.
Textile design also receives careful attention. Economy Class seats will be upholstered in custom indigo fabric interwoven with peach and lavender threads, designed to shift in color and texture depending on the viewing angle — a nod to the iridescent paint used on the aircraft exterior.
“Our work for Riyadh Air highlights PriestmanGoode’s unique capability to launch a new airline, with design from the ground up,” Rowan added. “We pushed boundaries where feasible and identified scope for innovation in what is always a limited space.”
Riyadh Air has already received its Air Operator Certificate and taken delivery of its first technical spare aircraft. The airline plans to connect to 100 cities worldwide by 2030 and is expected to reveal its route network and inaugural flight schedule in the coming months. Commercial operations are slated to begin later in 2025.
