Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air has joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and adopted its CO2 Connect emissions programme as commercial operations begin, the airline said on June 15.
The membership, marked at the IATA World Air Transport Summit in Rio de Janeiro, integrates the start-up carrier into the global aviation system within days of its first flights, as Saudi Arabia builds out an airline intended to carry the kingdom’s diversification drive and challenge established Gulf hubs in Dubai and Doha.
Riyadh Air received its first three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, two on June 5 and one on June 7, and operated its first commercial flight on the Riyadh-London Heathrow route days later. Daily flights to Jeddah began on June 14, with routes to Cairo, Dubai, Madrid and Manchester to follow in the coming weeks.
“Becoming an IATA member is a tribute to the dedication and hard work undertaken by our teams to meet and surpass the highest industry standards and gives us a seat at the table alongside global airline peers who have been members since the organisation’s inception in 1945,” said Tony Douglas, chief executive of Riyadh Air.
The carrier joins more than 360 member airlines from 129 countries and territories, accounting for about 85% of global air traffic. Membership commits airlines to industry goals including net-zero emissions by 2050.
“We are pleased to welcome Riyadh Air to IATA’s airline membership and congratulate them on this milestone. We look forward to their active contribution in shaping industry priorities and supporting the continued growth of Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector and global connectivity,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general.
The agreement to adopt CO2 Connect was signed by Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA’s regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East, and Vincent Coste, chief commercial officer at Riyadh Air. The programme uses actual fuel burn data and airline-specific operational metrics rather than generic models to calculate flight-by-flight emissions, giving passengers and corporate travel managers verified carbon footprint data.
Riyadh Air plans to operate routes to more than 100 destinations by 2030 as aircraft deliveries accelerate.