Riyadh Air launch delayed again as FAA holds up jet certification

The commercial launch of Riyadh Air, the new carrier backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is facing delays because of hold-ups in certification of its new jets by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The airline was supposed to start taking delivery of its Boeing  787 widebody aircraft last year, but only a handful of the planes have been assembled and they are still awaiting certification, Bloomberg reports.

The certification process has dragged on for months longer than expected and the FAA has not given a fresh timeline for final approvals, the news agency reports.

Riyadh Air, which has not yet given an exact date for its planned 2026 launch, signed deals for more than 39 Boeing 787-9 models, with options for 33 more. It also has orders for 100 narrow and widebody aircraft from Airbus, which are yet to be delivered.