Riyadh Air has completed manufacturing of its first Airbus A321neo narrow-body aircraft, as the Saudi carrier builds a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets to support its international growth, Arab News reported.

The aircraft, registered HZ-RXFA, came out of Airbus’ paint facility in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday in the airline’s pearl livery, according to an announcement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). 

Its design draws on Saudi heritage, with flowing lines modelled on traditional Bedouin tents and elements reflecting Arabic calligraphy, Arab News said. The airline’s name appears in both Arabic and English.

The jet will undergo test flights in the coming days before delivery and its eventual arrival at the airline’s base in Riyadh, the report said. Riyadh Air said details of the cabin, onboard experience, and destinations for its narrow-body fleet would be announced in the coming weeks. 

The A321neo will complement its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, which forms the backbone of its wide-body expansion strategy.

In July, Riyadh Air and Boeing announced an agreement covering additional 787 Dreamliners, including the conversion of 20 aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant and a previously undisclosed purchase of 11 jets, according to the July 20 announcement carried by SPA. 

Once the remaining 17 aircraft are finalised, the airline’s firm order is expected to reach 67 Dreamliners, according to Arab News. The report said the 787-10 can carry 50 more passengers than the 787-9, and that operating both variants would give the airline fleet commonality in flight deck systems, maintenance and pilot training.

Riyadh Air, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, began operations in June 2026 with a service to London Heathrow, the report said. It launched flights to Manchester in September and increased its Heathrow schedule to nine flights a week from November 2. 

It also started flights to Bangkok in September, three times a week at first, rising to daily from November 9.

Bookings are open for flights to Milan, due to start on December 16 at four a week. Milan will be the airline’s fifth European destination and the 15th available for booking, according to the report.

In October, the airline said it operated eight aircraft serving 14 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and aimed to have nearly 30 destinations on sale by the end of 2026. Its longer-term goal is to connect Riyadh to more than 100 destinations by 2030, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 diversification strategy.

In its July announcement, the airline said it expected its operations to generate more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs and to add over SR75 billion ($20 billion) to non-oil gross domestic product by 2030. These are the airline’s own projections.