The choice of engines for its future single-aisle fleet might sound like a technical detail, yet this decision sends a loud signal across the industry and gives France’s Safran fresh momentum in its bid to dominate the market for next‑generation aircraft propulsion.
Riyadh Air’s massive bet on the LEAP‑1A
Riyadh Air, created in 2023 as part of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” strategy, is still unknown to many travellers. The kingdom wants that to change fast. Backed by the state and designed to complement flag carrier Saudia, the new airline aims to turn Riyadh into a major global hub able to compete with Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
To support that ambition, the carrier has placed a firm order for 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft. Each of those jets will be powered by the LEAP‑1A engine, produced by CFM International, a joint venture between France’s Safran Aircraft Engines and US group GE Aerospace.
Riyadh Air’s order for 120 LEAP‑1A engines is estimated by industry analysts at around €1.4 billion, excluding long‑term services.
The deal was announced at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025 and immediately drew attention, not only for its size but for what it implies: a newcomer in the Gulf is aligning itself with a Franco‑American engine maker, at a time when the region is fiercely contested by rival manufacturers.
Safran consolidates its leadership in single‑aisle engines
Safran has spent the past decade turning the LEAP family into the standard engine for new‑generation narrow‑body aircraft. The company already had a huge footprint with the CFM56, which powered previous generations of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. With the LEAP, it is trying to repeat – and upgrade – that dominance.
Riyadh Air’s decision reinforces that strategy. It adds to a packed order book and helps secure long‑term workload for Safran’s factories in France and for CFM’s sites in the United States.
With nearly 10,000 LEAP engines still on order worldwide, Safran and GE enjoy one of the most substantial backlogs ever seen in civil aviation.
For Safran, contracts of this size go far beyond the initial hardware sale. They usually open the door to decades of maintenance, spare parts supply and digital monitoring services, which often generate more revenue than the engines themselves over the life of the aircraft.
➡️ This Boeing 737 looks like no other you’ve ever seen because it’s been adapted for Canada’s Arctic
➡️ Hang it by the shower and say goodbye to moisture: the bathroom hack everyone loves
➡️ Once deforestation halted, regional rainfall cycles began stabilizing
Why Riyadh Air chose the LEAP‑1A
Riyadh Air wants to be marketed as a premium carrier with a modern, efficient fleet. That ambition translates into a clear checklist for its engines:
- Lower fuel burn to reduce operating costs on long, thin routes.
- Reduced emissions to match public and regulatory pressure.
- Improved noise performance for airports and nearby residents.
- Robustness in desert conditions with sand, dust and intense heat.
- Strong global support network for maintenance and spare parts.
The LEAP‑1A ticks each of those boxes. CFM has developed specific “durability kits” for high‑temperature, sandy environments like the Gulf, where blades and turbine parts face accelerated wear. For an airline planning to base much of its activity in Riyadh’s hot climate, this feature is far from a detail.
What makes the LEAP‑1A different
Technology aimed at fuel savings and emissions cuts
The LEAP‑1A is the successor to the widely used CFM56. It builds on that legacy with a series of new technologies designed to squeeze more power out of every kilogram of fuel.
| Feature | LEAP‑1A advantage |
|---|---|
| Fuel consumption | About 15% lower than CFM56, according to industry data |
| CO₂ emissions | Roughly 15% reduction per flight, aligned with fuel savings |
| Fan diameter | 1.98 metres, improving airflow and propulsive efficiency |
| Materials | 3D‑woven composite fan blades, ceramic matrix composites (CMC) |
| Noise | Lower perceived noise levels at takeoff and landing |
| Monitoring | Real‑time health tracking and predictive maintenance tools |
Composite fan blades, made with 3D‑woven carbon fibres, allow engineers to cut weight while maintaining stiffness and resistance to impacts from birds or debris. Inside the hot section, parts built from ceramic matrix composites can withstand higher temperatures than traditional metal alloys, which improves efficiency without requiring extra cooling air.
By operating at higher temperatures with lighter components, the LEAP‑1A extracts more energy from each drop of fuel, which directly lowers costs for airlines.
A global production and support ecosystem
Manufacturing of the LEAP‑1A is spread between Safran’s sites in France, such as Villaroche and Saint‑Quentin, and GE’s plants in the United States, including Durham in North Carolina. This transatlantic set‑up lets CFM ramp up production faster and respond to demand surges from big fleet orders like Riyadh Air’s.
Once the engines are delivered, support is handled through a network of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities worldwide. Airlines can sign long‑term service agreements that cover scheduled overhauls, unexpected repairs, access to spare engines and technical training for their own teams.
A contract that likely exceeds €1.4 billion
Neither Safran nor Riyadh Air has publicly disclosed the contract value. Analysts often rely on benchmark deals to estimate such figures. Based on a 2018 reference price of around €12 million per LEAP‑1A engine, 120 units would reach roughly €1.4 billion.
That figure only covers the firm hardware. In practice, most large engine orders include wide extra components:
- Spare engines kept on standby during heavy maintenance checks.
- Packages of spare parts delivered over several years.
- Engine health monitoring and software updates.
- Training programmes for pilots and maintenance crews.
- On‑site technical support, especially at the start of operations.
Adding these elements can significantly raise the overall lifetime value of the contract. For Safran, such agreements create steady cash flows well beyond the initial delivery phase and help absorb the large development costs tied to new engine generations.
Riyadh Air and Saudi Arabia’s aviation ambitions
Vision 2030 and the race for Gulf hub dominance
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans to diversify the country’s economy away from oil. Aviation plays a central role, both as a driver of tourism and as a logistical backbone for trade. Riyadh Air is part of that strategy, alongside major airport expansion projects and investments in local aerospace capabilities.
By opting for the A321neo and LEAP‑1A combination, the airline positions itself on medium‑ and long‑haul routes where single‑aisle aircraft can operate at lower cost than wide‑body jets. That opens possibilities such as point‑to‑point flights between secondary European cities and Riyadh, or links from the kingdom to South Asia and East Africa.
The choice of a fuel‑efficient engine gives Riyadh Air more flexibility to open thinner routes, where every percentage point of fuel saved can decide if a new destination is viable or not.
What this means for passengers and nearby communities
For travellers, the main impact will be quieter cabins, slightly smoother flights and, behind the scenes, better on‑time performance. Modern engines like the LEAP‑1A are designed for high reliability, which reduces the risk of last‑minute cancellations due to technical issues.
For residents living around airports, the reduced noise footprint and lower emissions are gradually changing the experience of daily life under flight paths. While aircraft are not silent, each new generation tends to emit less noise and pollutants per seat, softening the local environmental impact of growing traffic.
Key concepts behind the deal
How an engine order turns into decades of revenue
An aircraft engine typically stays in service for 20 to 25 years. During that time, it goes through several heavy shop visits, which involve partial disassembly, replacement of worn parts and detailed inspections. These operations are complex and costly, but they keep the engine airworthy and efficient.
For manufacturers and their partners, this maintenance phase is often where the real money lies. A single engine can generate several times its original sale price in services across its life. That is why Safran and GE attach so much weight to securing large fleets at the outset.
In the case of Riyadh Air, each LEAP‑1A will require tailored support adapted to the desert environment. Sand and dust, for instance, can erode turbine blades and clog air passages, meaning more frequent checks and targeted upgrades. Those conditions create both challenges and business opportunities for engine makers.
Risks and opportunities in the LEAP strategy
Betting heavily on one engine family brings clear benefits to Safran, but it also concentrates risk. Any technical issue that grounds part of the LEAP fleet would have big financial and reputational consequences. This is why the programme has been built with extensive testing, redundancy and continuous monitoring.
On the opportunity side, the LEAP‑1A has room to evolve. Incremental upgrades to software, materials and aerodynamics can be introduced over time without redesigning the entire engine. CFM also positions the LEAP to run on higher blends of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which airlines will need to meet climate targets.
For Riyadh Air, the choice of engine sets the technical baseline for its next two decades. If the LEAP‑1A performs as promised, it will support competitive ticket prices on long narrow‑body routes and help the airline build a reputation for reliability. If fuel prices rise or emissions regulations tighten, the efficiency gains locked in today may look like a very smart hedge a few years down the line.
Originally posted 2026-03-06 17:54:29.