Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s world-class digitally native startup airline, has unveiled its first fleet of electric coaches for employee transport to promote sustainable aviation.
This initiative highlights the kingdom’s commitment to achieving the sustainable goals of the United Nation. Under the agreement with the UN Global Compact, signed earlier in 2024, the kingdom seeks to adopt all 17 goals of the UN.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air; Mr. Kalyana Sivagnanam, Group CEO of Petromin Corporations; and Gary B. Flom, CEO of Petromin National Transportation Solutions Company, attended the launching ceremony.
This initiative is a joint effort of Riyadh Air and the National Transportation Solutions Company (NTSC). The partnership offers digital solutions to enable sustainable public transport with a focus on reducing the airline’s environmental footprint through convenient and eco-friendly daily commute.
Tony Douglas CEO – Riyadh Air
“Sustainability is embedded in our DNA and we will reflect this across all Riyadh Air’s operations, from managing fuel efficiency in the sky to reducing carbon emissions on the ground. Investing in electric coaches is just one early initiative we can introduce to offset our environmental footprint as we demonstrate we will be a leader in helping achieve the aviation industry’s .”
“We are proud to have this partnership for sustainable mobility with Riyadh Air and contribute to their efforts to reach sustainability goals. This is a remarkable airline with environmental responsibility embedded in their DNA,” added Mr. Kalyana Sivagnanam.
According to the International Energy Agency, private cars and vans consumed more than a quarter of the world’s oil in 2022 and about 10 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions. Riyadh Air aims to promote fuel efficiency and reduce the individual cars on the roads by introducing electric vehicles and carpooling services.
This initiative follows an agreement for Riyadh to adopt GE Aerospace’s suite of flight operations software solutions: Safety Insight, Fuel Insight, and Flight Pulse. The partnership will provide the Airline with data-driven analytics to optimize fuel consumption, improve safety measures, and strengthen sustainability initiatives.
Riyadh Air will begin commercial operations in mid-2025 at King Khalid International Airport. The airline also seeks to connect the country to be one hundred regional and international destinations by 2030, leveraging Saudi Arabia’s strategic location between Asia, Africa and Europe.
