Saudi Arabia’s new global airline RIA has approached Etihad’s Tony Douglas to be its new CEO, Arabian Business understands.

Industry sources say Douglas – who has been in charge of Etihad since January 2018 – is RIA’s “top choice”. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) which is pumping $30bn into the new airline, is believed to be confident of securing Douglas to head up the new operation.
As revealed last week in Arabian Business, RIA will operate out of Riyadh and in the longer-term aim to compete with Emirates and Qatar Airways as a global airline. The Saudis are pursuing a dual-hub strategy, with the current national carrier Saudia operating out of Jeddah.

Douglas was previously the CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Company between 2013 and 2015. He has also held senior positions with airport operator BAA. He has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation, infrastructure and government sectors.

The new airline is set to launch in the final quarter of this year. Sources suggest the initial phase will see a regional launch, using Boeing 737Max and Airbus A320 planes.

The launch of RIA is central to the $100 billion investment in aviation, as part of the country’s Vision 2030. Much of this will be spent on establishing the new carrier and associated infrastructure.