Riyadh Air, the new Saudi Arabian airline, headed up by veteran CEO Tony Douglas has just unveiled the first of two liveries that will adorn the airline’s fleet on Instagram earlier today. The airline has certainly decided to stand out with a bold, metallic purple look that will draw attention as it touches down to its impressive 100+ destinations by the decade’s end.
With an accelerated growth strategy the airline is going to have to punch well above its weight, and all eyes in the industry are turning to see what this carrier will bring to the skies. It’s well poised to be a Starlux of the Middle East in many ways – a game-changing contemporary carrier – that is set to shake the current landscape up.
The empennage by all accounts is a stunning work of art. A perfectly balanced tail motif and 3D effect belly wrap that effortlessly connects tail and fuselage. Even the smallest hint of the pale lavender tail colour on the fuselage graphic shows the impeccable attention to detail the airline is undertaking. In theory, this only ‘paints’ the way to an impressive interior too.
The front however, paints a different story. Usually larger billboard titles are used by lower-cost carriers, shouting loud about their brand, look at Play, Spirit, Ryanair, Air Asia etc. Riyadh Air has placed a much larger emphasis on its logotype than we had expected. That said, the typeface is elegant, and there is a more equal weighting between Arabic and Latin script, where the second language on either side certainly has a much stronger emphasis than that found on Etihad or Emirates for example.
What is also nice to see is that the nacelles have been given just as much attention, with the striking belly graphic carried on underneath each engine and the large almost ‘Rolls Royce’ like logo emblazoned on each side of the engine.
When you see the brand touches through the most recent video from the carrier however you can see that there’s going to be a quieter sophistication to the brand, more akin to Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific.
One thing is for sure, all eyes are going to be turning to this carrier as it sets its stall in the coming months, and should they be willing to win over the public, they could become a serious competitor in the region, but the question will still remain, can a dry airline truly compete for a more Western appetite, or will the airline find a way to cave and provide real competition to the likes of Qatar and Emirates. Only time will tell.
The Big Picture
TheDesignAir 
The livery is gaudy. With way too much going on. I’m disappointed.