Riyadh Air and IBM have announced that Saudi Carriers has become the “first Ai-air airline”, with artificial intelligence embedded in every layer of its operations from the start.
A milestone was unveiled at IBM Imagine Riyadh 2025 and marks a major milestone in a three-year collaboration to design the airline’s digital foundation pre-commercial pre-commercial pre-commercial pre-commercial pre-commercial pre-commercial pre-commercial
Created without legacy systems, Riyadh Air builds its operations entirely on AI-driven platforms. IBM Consulting is joined by 59 appreams and more than 60 technology partners, including Adobe, Apple, Flyr and Microsoft, using its AI-Power platform, to use the technology advantage of the aircraft.
Riyadh Air introduces AI-driven operations
The project uses IBM Watsonx Orchestrate to support key operations and connect processes across the business.
“We had a clear choice – be the last aircraft built on legacy technology or the first built on platforms that will define the next decade of aviation,” said Adam Boukadida, Riyadh Air’s chief financial officer.
“With IBM, we have single-handedly delivered fifty years of legacy. Riyadh Air is not just built today; it is built for the future and is paving the way for many airlines to follow in the years to come.”
Mohammad Ali, Senior Vice President at IBM Consulting, said the aircraft “sets a new standard for what it means to build modern, dynamic businesses from the ground up”.
AI for retrieving flight tasks
Riyadh Air aims to transform the interaction between employees and passengers by using AI Generative and Agentic AI in its policies. A self-built digital environment powered by Agents ai will provide employees with a single point of access based on conversational HR and internal tools as the workforce increases rapidly over the next year.
AI-enabled customer care mobile apps, voice assistants and agent assistance systems will be able to draw on contextual data to anticipate needs and deliver more personalized support.
In addition to customer experience, airlines have adopted the Enterprise Performance Management Suite developed by IBM to integrate financial, commercial and operational data. Planning, budgeting and forecasting are aimed at generating real insight that supports decisions in the interest of route profitability and overall business performance, helping Riyadh Air Reivevent to operate and operate as it grows.
The partnership supports the airline’s broader ambition to increase Saudi Arabia’s global connectivity, with plans to reach more than 100 destinations and serve millions of travelers by 2030.
Riyadh Air, launched in March 2023 and managed by the Public Investment Fund, has established itself as a full service LED company led by stability and advanced safety standards.
IBM and Riyadh Air say that building aircraft as an AI-native business from day one offers the opportunity to streamline legacy models, allowing rapid scaling and adopting new technologies without operational issues.
