Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas is the rare executive who gets to build an airline carrier from scratch, unencumbered by decades of old systems, aging infrastructure, and dated processes that bog down so many other airlines. And he's doing so under tremendous pressure. His marching orders since his March hire have been to create a world-class airline that will play a central role in Saudi Arabia's efforts to improve its global image and diversify its economy beyond oil with a big tourism push.
Douglas, whose long career in commercial aviation includes stints as CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad and as a senior executive at British Airways' parent BAA, will also be duking it out with big, well-established incumbents like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Saudia, the domestic airline that serves the country from Jeddah. Riyadh Air, based in Saudi Arabia's namesake capital, a conurbation of 8 million people, will commence flights in 2025, aiming to serve 100 cities by 2030. Douglas has already ordered 78 Boeing 787 planes.
