Arab News, Tues, Nov 14, 2023 | Rabi Al-Aakhir 30, 1445
AH
Riyadh aims to deliver ticketless experience
DUBAI:
Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, is aiming to reintroduce some
“romance” into traveling, according to its chief commercial officer.
In an interview with Arab News at Dubai Airshow 2023, Peter Bellew talked up
the digital-first focus of the carrier, which will see passengers’ faces
serving as their boarding passes.
His comments came after the company revealed the second livery for its
wide-body aircraft through virtual reality, allowing visitors to experience
the airline through their phones.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the creation of the new
national airline in March, with Riyadh Air set to make its first flight in
2025.
The CCO declined to say if there are confirmed destinations for the airline
but said the company is set to have links with over 100 airports from Riyadh
by 2030.
Reflecting on the focus on creating an unrivaled customer experience, Bellew
said that in the early days of aircraft-powered tourism, the trip to the
airport was seen as part of the positive experience of traveling.
“Maybe travel has lost that a little bit,” he said, adding: “What we’re
trying to do is put that back into travel so that people will actually look
forward to traveling, coming to the airport, visiting our lounges, being on
board our aircraft no matter what class of travel they go in, (and) that we
try and put a little bit of the romance back into travel so people will
actually be actively looking forward to traveling with Riyadh Air as part of
their overall holiday and their journey rather than maybe traveling on an
aircraft as a chore.”
The airline’s goal to deliver a ticketless experience is a key part of this,
and Bellew said: “Once passengers register their details with the airline,
their biometrics will be recognized and will ensure a smooth traveling
experience with no need to have physical tickets or boarding passes, your
face will be your ticket.”
The new livery features an iridescent white aircraft, which differs from the
indigo exterior announced at the Paris Air Show in June.
The color purple is representative of the Saudi lavender flower which
represents the regal experience of the airline, said Bellew.
Riyadh Air’s latest livery continues the indigo theme inspired by canopies
of traditional Bedouin tents and curves of Arabic calligraphy.
Bellew said the decision to reveal the livery via VR was in touch with the
company’s goal to become a fully digital native airline.
“Everything we are doing throughout the airline is digital in nature. The
obvious thing to do instead of spending money on painting an aircraft is to
do the reveal digitally, which I don’t think is common and has the potential
to go viral,” he said, adding: “The reaction has been great, and it’s proved
to be a unique idea.”
Bellew said Saudi Arabia is the perfect country to launch a project as big
as this as the Kingdom is “so digitally enabled.”
He added: “We plan to leave no stone unturned to treat people really as if
they were guests in our own house and the way we travel,” he said.
With Saudi Vision 2030 in mind, Bellew said Riyadh Air is in line with the
sustainability goals of the Kingdom.
“We are brand new; we’re getting brand new aircraft, so they will be highly
fuel efficient. But also the way we run the airline, the way the software
that we run, the way we plan our flights, everything like that, I think we
will learn a lot that would benefit the rest of the airline industry,” he
said.
“We’ve ordered 72 Boeing 787 aircraft. We expect the fleet will go up to
about 170 aircraft by 2030, and we will be really focusing on linking Riyadh
with direct flights to all the major capitals in the world that are within
range of Riyadh,” he said.
Bellew was clear that he not only sees the airline benefiting from being a
Saudi company but also that the Kingdom will profit from the company,
particularly through establishing aviation training infrastructure.
“If I can help grow the world’s best education for Saudi Arabia and give
them an opportunity, I would be very happy. If I could travel in 15 years
and meet young Saudi people running other airlines from what they’ve learned
in the Kingdom, from what we’ve established, for me, I’d be very proud of
that,” he added.
Dubai Airshow 2023 is taking place from Nov. 13 - 17 at Al Maktoum
International Airport and features 1,400 exhibitors from 48 countries, with
over 180 advanced commercial, private and military aircraft on display.
Other Saudi companies at the airshow include Saudia Airlines and Saudi
Aerospace Co.