Rendering of a Ridyah Air Boeing Dreamliner. Photo: Ridyah Air

Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyadh Air selected Viasat to provide in-flight connectivity on its initial Boeing 787 Dreamliner factory-installed deliveries.

Riyadh Air is a new airline owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, set to start flights this year. It plans to reach 100 global destinations by 2030. Riyadh Air has 39 confirmed Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on order, and 33 more to follow. 

The in-flight Wi-Fi service will be free for Riyadh Air loyalty members. Viasat said the service will enable streaming, social scrolling, web browsing, and gaming, from gate to gate where permitted. The Viasat network will also support live TV on seatback screens and Riyadh Air’s apps. 

Viasat said it will provide its  Ka-band technology and described its network as “multi-orbit ready.” Viasat is in discussions with Telesat to purchase capacity on the Ka-band Lightspeed Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) network for to serve the aviation market. 

“Riyadh Air will possess the flexibility to leverage future satellite technologies and be well positioned to meet the highly concentrated bandwidth and connectivity demand that continue to grow within commercial flights,” Viasat said in a release. 

Anton Vidgen, vice president of Guest Experience at Riyadh Air, said the airline wants to impact the guest experience with innovation and technology. 

“Partnering with Viasat, we were empowered to realize our discerning vision for guests’ connectivity. In turn, our guests will enjoy free, personalized, and seamless Wi-Fi that will fully integrate with the full Riyadh Air experience. This partnership is a key enabler of our digitally native onboard strategy: setting a new standard for premium travel,” Vidgen commented.