Tony Douglas from Etihad has been approached by RIA, a brand-new airline from Saudi Arabia, to serve as its new CEO.
Douglas, who has been in charge of Etihad since January 2018, is RIA’s “first choice,” according to insiders in the industry. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which is investing $30 billion in the new airline, is rumoured to be confident in landing Douglas to lead the new enterprise.
RIA will operate out of Riyadh and in the longer-term aim to compete with Emirates and Qatar Airways as global airline. The Saudis are pursuing a dual-hub strategy, with the current national carrier Saudia operating out of Jeddah.
Douglas was previously the CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Company between 2013 and 2015. He has also held senior positions with airport operator BAA. He has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation, infrastructure and government sectors.
The new airline is set to launch in the final quarter of this year. Sources suggest the initial phase will see a regional launch, using Boeing 737Max and Airbus A320 planes.
A key component of the $100 billion investment in aviation made as part of the nation’s Vision 2030 is the introduction of RIA. The establishment of the new carrier and related infrastructure will take up a large portion of this budget.
