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Riyadh Air Makes Multi-Billion Dollar Deal With Boeing
The investment will see the Saudi Arabian airline take delivery of up to 72 aircraft.
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, the airline backed by the county’s Public Investment Fund, has ordered up to 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft in a multi-billion dollar deal.
The order is unprecedented for a new airline and highlights Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a major aviation hub.
The order comprises 39 confirmed aircraft plus another 33 wide-bodied 787-9 Dreamliners. It comes as Saudi Arabia’s national carriers announced their intent to order up to 121 aircraft in total, representing the fifth-largest commercial order by value in Boeing’s history.
The huge Boeing order will help to shuttle a projected 330 million passengers by 2030. His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the PIF and Chairman of Riyadh Air, applauded the move, saying, “This is a momentous day for PIF and Riyadh Air, and highlights our determination to significantly extend Saudi Arabia’s connectivity with the world”.
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Riyadh Air is a digital-first airline committed to sustainability, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 toward net zero emissions. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is manufactured to achieve lower CO2 emissions, greater fuel efficiency, and pass stringent noise regulations.
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AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs
Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.
AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.
The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.
“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.
The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.
To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.
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Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.
Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.
AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs
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