Riyadh Air’s first production indigo Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is nearing delivery after emerging from Boeing’s paint facility in Charleston, South Carolina, marking an important milestone for the rapidly expanding Saudi Arabian carrier. The aircraft carries a distinctive livery inspired by spring desert blooms, Arabic calligraphy, and the changing colors of the sky, giving Riyadh Air a second visual identity alongside its standard white scheme.
The timing is significant because the aircraft is expected to become the tenth aircraft in Riyadh Air’s fleet. Rather than treating the special livery as a one-off promotional design, the airline plans to use indigo aircraft as recurring markers of its expansion, with every tenth aircraft expected to receive the treatment. As Riyadh Air builds its network and fleet, each indigo Dreamliner will therefore provide an immediately recognizable symbol of another stage in its growth.
Riyadh Air’s Indigo Boeing 787-9 Introduces a Distinctive Identity
The special aircraft differs from Riyadh Air’s predominantly white standard livery, which uses indigo and lavender accents. The new design places indigo across a much larger portion of the aircraft, creating a darker and more dramatic appearance while retaining the visual language developed for the airline’s brand.
The concept was created with PriestmanGoode, the London-based design consultancy that worked with Riyadh Air on both its standard and alternative liveries. The original design brief called for a visual identity that could place the new airline at the forefront of the next generation of global carriers. Its five-color palette includes indigo, lavender and Sunset Peach, with the special scheme drawing particular inspiration from the transition of the sky between dusk and dawn.
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas described the emergence of the aircraft from Boeing’s paint shop as a significant moment for the airline. He said the design reflects the colors of desert blooms and the beauty of Arabic calligraphy while presenting a modern Saudi identity intended to stand out at airports around the world.
The aircraft also carries the campaign message “The Future Takes Flight,” reinforcing the connection between the distinctive paint scheme and Riyadh Air’s broader ambition to establish itself as a major international carrier.
The Indigo Design Has Already Appeared on a Dreamliner
Although this is Riyadh Air’s first production aircraft to receive the indigo treatment, the design itself is not completely new. The airline previously used a promotional Boeing 787 featuring the special livery between June 2023 and October 2024.
That aircraft, then registered N8572C, appeared at major aviation events and helped introduce Riyadh Air’s visual identity before the carrier began its regular passenger operations. One of its most prominent appearances came at the 54th Paris Airshow, where the striking indigo design provided an early preview of the brand that would eventually appear on production aircraft.
N8572C has since moved on to another operator, TAAG Angola Airlines, meaning Riyadh Air’s approaching tenth aircraft will become the first production member of the carrier’s own fleet to wear the special scheme.
Riyadh Air Is Building a Growing Boeing 787-9 Fleet
The indigo aircraft arrives as Riyadh Air rapidly expands its Dreamliner fleet. According to the supplied industry reporting, the airline has received eight Boeing 787-9s, with the first pair arriving in June 2026. Those aircraft are registered HZ-RXAA and HZ-RXAB.
Before the production Dreamliners arrived, Riyadh Air had operated a leased Boeing 787-9 from Oman Air as part of its “Pathway to Perfect” program. Those flights were designed for employees, family members, invited guests and other stakeholders while the airline prepared for its wider commercial operation.
The pace of subsequent deliveries has been substantial. Boeing had already completed construction, testing and customer acceptance on additional Riyadh Air 787-9s when the first pair entered the fleet. Aircraft including HZ-RXAC, HZ-RXAD and HZ-RXAE followed, establishing the foundation for the carrier’s growing long-haul operation.
A 67-Aircraft Dreamliner Commitment Supports Future Expansion
Riyadh Air’s long-term Boeing commitment is considerably larger than the aircraft currently in service. At the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, the airline exercised 28 options associated with its original 2023 Boeing agreement. Twenty aircraft from that commitment were converted from the 787-9 to the larger 787-10, expanding Riyadh Air’s firm Dreamliner commitment to 67 aircraft.
The airline has also expanded its Airbus ambitions. Riyadh Air firmed up an additional six Airbus A350-1000s at Farnborough, bringing its commitment for the type to 31 aircraft, while 19 options remain available.
The Tenth Aircraft Will Become a Symbol of Riyadh Air’s Growth
Riyadh Air has said its future fleet will be built around four aircraft families: the Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-10, Airbus A321neo and Airbus A350. The strategy gives the carrier a combination of aircraft suited to different network requirements as it expands beyond its current destinations.
The arrival of the first production indigo 787-9 therefore means more than another Dreamliner delivery. It establishes a visual tradition in which the tenth aircraft, twentieth aircraft and subsequent milestones can be immediately recognized across the global aviation network. For a young airline still building its identity, that makes the approaching delivery especially notable.
The indigo Dreamliner is ultimately a physical representation of Riyadh Air’s rapid transformation from a newly announced carrier into an airline with an expanding fleet, growing international ambitions and a distinctive brand designed to be recognized long before its aircraft reaches the gate.
