Riyadh Air receives half a million job applications

Via Reuters

• 467,589 registrations of interest on the Riyadh Air website
• 35% of applications were for cabin crew roles, 34% corporate
• Interest may reflect broader trends, rather than Riyadh Air’s appeal

Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyadh Air has received almost half a million job applications since the carrier was announced to the world in March this year.

Wholly owned by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, Riyadh Air forms part of ambitious plans by the kingdom to boost the number of passengers through its 29 airports from 100 million to 330 million by the end of the decade under its Vision 2030 programme.

Total interest registered on the Riyadh Air careers site stood at 467,589 as of July 14.

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Applications have been received from more than 180 nationalities, including Saudi Arabia itself and the wider GCC, according to a spokesperson.

From the enquiries made, 35 percent were for cabin crew positions, 8 percent commercial and guest experience, 34 percent corporate, 2 percent digital and innovation, and 16 percent operations.

Earlier this week it was announced that Riyadh Air is looking to take on 700 pilots ahead of its maiden flight in 2025.

In its most recent commercial market outlook report, a forecast of 20-year demand, US plane manufacturer Boeing said the Middle East will require 202,000 new aviation personnel, including 53,000 pilots, 50,000 technicians and 99,000 cabin crew members in the next 20 years.

“This high volume of applications might reflect broader trends, such as unemployment rates or career shifts post-pandemic, rather than exclusively being about Riyadh Air’s appeal,” Linus Bauer, managing director of Dubai’s Bauer Aviation Advisory, said.

The creation of a second Saudi national airline, with industry veteran and former Etihad Airways boss Tony Douglas as its CEO, was announced alongside an order for up to 72 Boeing 787s, with a plan to serve over 100 destinations by 2030.