In the face of an international pilot shortage, Riyadh Air, the Saudi Arabia-based startup airline, wants to hire 700 pilots in 3 years to fly its Boeing 787-9s – and eventually future narrowbody airframes. Riyadh Air promises a point-to-point network to help the Saudi tourism network, plus competitive pay and benefits.
Recently, Riyadh Air Chief Operating Officer Peter Bellew – formerly of Ryanair – let it be known that Riyadh Air needs 700 pilots over the next three years. According to Gulf News, Bellew noted, “[Pilot] interviews have been taking place. We expect people to physically join us from January to April of next year. … Recruitment for the core group will continue until December this year.”
But the carrier is hiring more than pilots. One should remember that running an airline today requires cabin crew, engineers, and IT professionals amongst a score of other staffers. Screening is underway, with global cabin crew recruitment roadshows like Emirates does in the works. Currently, the carrier is hiring for airport experience, audit, cabin crew, and lounge staffers.
Middle Eastern aviation has been increasingly defined by spoke and hub operations, where Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Emirates operate a global spoke operation to feed their hub airports. In contrast, Riyadh Air, funded by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, has this explicit goal, according to its website“Riyadh Air seeks to lead the aviation industry by transforming Saudi Arabia, given its unique strategic location, into a global aviation and trade hub.”
This vision gives Riyadh Air executives hope the airline can recruit enough pilots to fly its new airplanes. As Tony Douglas, CEO, shared with the Financial Times his view that as to Qatar Airways’ passenger volume, “A very substantial percentage of that [QR’s] traffic is transfer. Very little of it proportionally is point-to-point.”
Which is what Riyadh Air has on offer – point-to-point flights. The carrier is also going after aircraft that are intended for such flights. Reports from Aerotime Hub indicate that Riyadh Air is considering at least 150 narrowbody aircraft and prefers the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The MAX aircraft would complement the fleet of 787s already on order for the airline.
Indeed, the 787 was built for airlines like Riyadh Air that want to run point-by-point routes.
The problem is, can Riyadh Air find enough trained pilots to fly such widebody aircraft, knowing the training requirements to operate such aircraft are steep? From India to the US, airlines are scrambling to train and secure as many pilots as possible, and Riyadh Air will have to offer competitive offers to lure pilots away, something it has indicated is possible.
Sources: Simple Flying, Gulf News, Financial Times
