Riyadh Air has revealed the look and feel of its debut aircraft, designed by design consultancy PriestmanGoode.

An all-new carrier for Saudi Arabia, it is set to begin operations later this year and is positioning itself as "the world's first digital-native carrier".

The "no legacy" airline has now released details of its cabins, which highlight both technology and culturally-inspired designm establishing its intention to compete as a premium global airline.PriestmanGoode, which was selected in 2022 to design both the interiors and brand identity, created the cabins around three core pillars: comfort, technology and longevity. The design team immersed themselves in Riyadh's culture to create an authentic experience that connects to Saudi heritage while maintaining a contemporary outlook.

 "Unlike existing carriers with decades of brand history to observe, Riyadh Air was starting from a blank slate," says Ben Rowan, director at PriestmanGoode. "This was both an opportunity and a challenge: the freedom to shape something entirely new, but also the responsibility to create a design language that would resonate with passengers and stand the test of time."

The Boeing 787-9 fleet will feature a 290-seat configuration with four distinct cabin classes. Business elite and business class will offer 28 seats in a 1-2-1 fully flat-bed layout, featuring Safran Unity seats 78 inches long and 22.5 inches wide, with 52-inch-high privacy walls and sliding doors.Premium economy will accommodate 39 passengers in a 2-3-2 configuration with a 38-inch seat pitch, while economy will have 223 seats arranged 3-3-3 with a 31-inch pitch.

A distinctive "canopy twist" design element, inspired by local architecture, serves as a unifying symbol across all cabins. This architectural feature is integrated throughout the airline's visual identity, from the business class suites to the premium economy cabin and even the aircraft livery.

Technology features prominently throughout, with some of the largest screens in commercial aviation (32-inch 4K OLED monitors in business elite, 22-inch in business class, 15.6-inch in premium economy, and 13.3-inch in economy).The airline will offer free high-speed wifi for loyalty programme members and has announced a collaboration with French audio company Devialet to integrate speakers directly into Business Class headrests.

Custom-designed fabrics include an indigo economy class seat cover with peach and lavender threads that change appearance depending on viewing angle, echoing the iridescent theme of the aircraft's exterior paint.

"Our work for Riyadh Air highlights PriestmanGoode's unique capability to launch a new airline, with design from the ground up, pushing boundaries where feasible, and identifying scope for innovation in what is always a limited space," Rowan adds.The airline, which aims to connect to 100 cities globally by 2030, has already received its Air Operator Certificate and taken delivery of its first technical spare aircraft. It plans to announce its network and inaugural flight dates in the coming months, with operations scheduled to begin later in 2025.