Riyadh Air Secures Atlético de Madrid Sponsorship

DALLAS — New startup carrier Riyadh Air (RX), expected to begin operations in 2025, has announced a new sponsorship agreement with Spanish soccer club Atlético de Madrid S.A.D., naming the carrier-to-be as the official airline partner of the "Red and White" team.

Thanks to this contract, the name and brand of Riyadh Air will be present in all events of the Madrilenian entity, as well as be featured in the players' kits. RX will also become, starting in 2025, the official air transport method for Atlético de Madrid in the most significant soccer competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, said: "It is an incredibly exciting day for Riyadh Air as we enter into a long-term partnership with Atlético de Madrid to become their main and official airline partner. We believe that this partnership is a perfect match, as both RX and Atletico share a commitment to excellence and a passion for connecting people and cultures around the world.

On August 10, as part of the official presentation ceremony, Tony Douglas, along with the CEO of the club, Miguel Ángel Gil, and the men's soccer squad, posed for the first group picture announcing the sponsorship agreement at the Cívitas Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid.

The indigo livery of Riyadh Air applied to an ex-Mongolian Boeing 787-9, was one of the main attractions at PAS2023. Photo: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways

Latest Developments from Riyadh Air

The Saudi Arabian Royal Family is overseeing a major project that is expected to take a while before it officially takes flight in 2025. This project involves the establishment of a carrier, which was set up on March 12, 2023, with the goal of putting King Khalid Airport (RUH) in Riyadh on the global stage. The objective is to connect the city with over 100 destinations in every direction possible.

At the moment of writing, the latest update for the fleet of RX stands at a firm order for 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, along with 33 additional options to be delivered between 2025 and 2030. The airline recently unveiled and promoted its indigo livery during the 2023 edition of the Paris Air Show.

Riyadh Air is poised to have an intriguing future in a market tightly regulated by the well-established Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV), which operates flights to 91 destinations from the Kingdom utilizing a diverse fleet of 157 aircraft.

Every year, it is more common to see airlines and soccer clubs allying as close partners. Photo: Riyadh Air

Linking Soccer with Aviation, an Uprising Trend

Featuring important events such as the UEFA Champions League final or the FIFA World Cup, every single soccer match brings together the attention of fans all around the world. With such a globalized passion for millions of people, the airline industry has shown a significant interest in promoting businesses at soccer clubs and matches to directly reach and attract new customers to hop on board their flights.

Some of the airlines most present generally in the sports industry are the three Middle Eastern giants; Etihad Airways (EY), Emirates (EK), and Qatar Airways (QR), each and every one of them supporting and advertising their sponsorships, for example, by applying special schemes to their aircraft.

Recently, another carrier from the region signed an important agreement with a soccer team, Oman Air (WY) with the English club Chelsea F.C., by applying an attractive all-blue livery to one of its Boeing 787-8.

Featured image: Riyadh Air

https://airwaysmag.com/saudi-arabia-new-airline-riyadh-air/