RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s new global airline RIA is in talks with Etihad CEO Tony Douglas to head up the new player in the aviation industry, reported Arabian Business.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has invested $30 billion in the new airline, is reported to be confident about securing Douglas’ services as the CEO of RIA.
Douglas has been heading Etihad since January 2018. He also served as CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Co. between 2013 and 2015 and held senior positions with the British Airport Authority.
He has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation, infrastructure and government sectors.
The new airline RIA is set to operate out of Riyadh and aims to rival Emirates and Qatar Airways as a global airline.
RIA is scheduled to launch in the final quarter of this year. The initial phase will see a regional launch, using Boeing 737Max and Airbus A320 aircraft.
The launch of the new airline is central to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which calls for a $100 billion investment in aviation.
