Riyadh Air Boeing 787-9 Seat Map & Best Seats (2026)
✈️ Quick Verdict
Riyadh Air operates two completely different 787-9s. The six (and growing) own-order aircraft carry 290 seats — 28 Safran Unity Business suites with sliding doors in 1-2-1, a 39-seat Premium Economy cabin and 223 Economy seats. The single leased ex-Oman Air jet, HZ-RXX, carries 288 seats in 30 Collins Apex Business suites (2-2-2, no doors) and 258 Economy — with no Premium Economy at all.
Two quick tells: the leased aircraft skips row 13 and numbers Business from row 10; the own-order aircraft starts Business at row 1 and ends Economy at row 39.
The version lottery: two completely different aircraft
Riyadh Air is barely a year into commercial flying, and its 787-9 fleet is split between the aircraft it designed and one it borrowed. The gap between them is wider than almost any version lottery we track.
The own-order aircraft are the ones the airline built its brand around: 28 Safran Unity Business suites in a 1-2-1 stagger, every one with a sliding door and 52-inch walls, a genuine 39-seat Premium Economy cabin, and 223 Economy seats. Row 1 is a separate sub-product marketed as Business Elite — four suites with 32-inch screens and an electrically controlled divider between the centre pair.
The leased aircraft, registered HZ-RXX, came from Oman Air via lessor Avolon so Riyadh Air could start flying before its own jets arrived. It kept the previous operator's cabin entirely: 30 Collins Apex suites in a 2-2-2 stagger with no doors, and 258 Economy seats.
🚫 Refit alert — Premium Economy can vanish
If you booked Premium Economy and get swapped onto HZ-RXX, there is no cabin for you to sit in. The leased jet was always a stopgap and technical spare, so most passengers on Heathrow, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid and Manchester get the own-order cabin — but it does fly, and it is the single biggest downgrade risk in the fleet.
| Feature | Own-order 787-9 | Leased HZ-RXX |
|---|---|---|
| Config | 28J / 39W / 223M — 290 seats | 30J / 258M — 288 seats |
| Business layout | 1-2-1 staggered, sliding door + 52in walls | 2-2-2 staggered, wrap-around shell, no door |
| Business bed | 78in flat bed, 22.5in wide | 77.5in flat bed, 22in wide |
| Premium Economy | 39 seats, 38in pitch, 2-3-2 | Not fitted |
| Economy pitch | 30in rows 15–23, 31in elsewhere | 31in throughout |
| Screens | Panasonic Astrova 4K OLED — 22in J (32in row 1), 15.6in W, 13.3in Y | Thales AVANT HD — 17in J, 10.6in Y |
| Power | 110V AC + USB-C, Bluetooth audio | 110V AC + USB-A, no Bluetooth |
| Wi-Fi | Viasat Ka-band, free gate to gate | OnAir satellite |
| Row 13 | Present | Skipped |
Own-order 787-9 — cabin by cabin
Business (rows 1–7, 28 seats, 1-2-1 staggered)
Safran Unity suites at 45in pitch, 22.5in wide, folding into a 78in flat bed. Every suite has direct aisle access, a sliding door and 52-inch walls. There is no genuinely bad seat here — the choice is about which stagger position suits you.
- Even rows (2, 4, 6) use A / D+G / K. Window seats sit beside the window with the console between you and the aisle; the centre pair is set wide apart.
- Odd rows (1, 3, 5, 7) use C / E+F / H. Window seats sit beside the aisle with the console against the window; the centre pair sits shoulder to shoulder.
✅ Best Business seats
Solo: 2A, 2K, 4A, 4K, 6A, 6K — window-true positions, the most private suites on the aircraft. Solo centre: 2D, 2G, 4D, 4G, 6D, 6G — the wide console makes these effectively private. Couples: 1E+1F, 3E+3F, 5E+5F, 7E+7F — row 1 adds an electrically controlled Business Elite divider.
The Business Elite question (row 1: 1C, 1E, 1F, 1H). Bigger screens, more personal space, powered divider — but row 1 sits closest to the forward galley and lavatories, and these are odd-row positions, so 1C and 1H are aisle-true rather than window-true. If you value quiet over spec sheet, 2A or 2K is the better seat.
Mildly worse: 3C, 3H, 5C, 5H, 7C, 7H. Aisle-true window seats — still excellent, but exposed to trolley traffic with the window a stretch away.
Premium Economy (rows 8–13, 39 seats, 2-3-2)
Recaro PL3530 at 38in pitch, 19.2in wide, 7in recline, 15.6in 4K OLED screens and four USB-C ports per seat. Row 8 has no centre section — the centre triple starts at row 9, which is why the cabin is 39 seats rather than 42.
- Best: 9A and 9K — best-aligned windows in the cabin, full recline, no bulkhead compromises.
- Best legroom: 8A and 8K — 34in to the wall, but tray and screen live in the armrest, no underseat storage, and both are bassinet positions.
- Also good: 8C and 8H — bulkhead legroom, extra foot room on one side, no bassinet at the seat.
🚫 Premium Economy seats to avoid
10A, 10K, 12A, 12K — misaligned windows; you sit on the pillar. Row 13 backs onto the Economy bulkhead with bassinets at 14B, 14E and 14J, so infant noise carries forward. Middle seats 9E–13E are the only genuinely compromised positions.
Economy (rows 14–39, 223 seats, 3-3-3)
Recaro R3 at 17.1in wide with 5in recline, 13.3in 4K OLED screens, dual USB-C and Bluetooth pairing. Pitch is 30in in rows 15 to 23 and 31in everywhere else — the tightest block sits immediately behind the bulkhead row.
✅ Best Economy seats
25A and 25K — extra legroom behind the mid-cabin exit with no door structure eating seat width; the best Economy seats on the aircraft. 31A and 31K — perfectly centred windows, mid-cabin, away from both lavatory banks. Legroom: 14C, 14D, 14G, 14H (skip 14B, 14E, 14J — bassinet middles).
🚫 Economy seats to avoid
- Rows 21, 22, 23 — mid-cabin lavatory block. 21D has a lavatory door directly behind it; row 23 has no centre section and none of these rows recline properly.
- Row 24 — counterintuitive: it is an exit row, but 24A and 24K do not exist and 24D/24E/24G face a lavatory door. 24C and 24H are the least-bad picks.
- Rows 37, 38, 39 — 37 and 38 sit against the side lavatories; row 39 is centre-only, backs onto the rear wall and does not recline.
- 36A and 36K — no window despite sitting in the window column.
Be aware: 17A, 17K, 26A, 26K, 30A and 30K have misaligned windows.
Leased 787-9 (HZ-RXX) — cabin by cabin
Business (rows 10–15, 30 seats, 2-2-2 staggered)
Collins Apex suites — the same product Oman Air flew. All 30 seats have direct aisle access despite the 2-2-2 count, because the stagger lets the window seat reach the aisle over its neighbour's footwell. 22in wide, 77.5in flat bed, 17in HD screen, gasper vents at every seat, no sliding doors. There is no row 13: numbering runs 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.
The stagger is constant rather than alternating: A and K sit forward against the window; B and J sit slightly aft beside the aisle; D and G form a level centre pair.
✅ Best Business seats (leased)
11A and 11K — best window alignment, one row back from the galley. Also strong: 12A, 12K, 14A, 14K. Couples: 11D+11G, 12D+12G, 14D+14G — level centre pairs with a fully retractable divider.
🚫 Business seats to avoid (leased)
Row 10 (10A, 10B, 10J, 10K) — directly behind the forward galley and lavatories, with the queue forming alongside; 10D and 10G escape most of it. Row 15 (15B, 15D, 15G, 15J) — backs onto the aft galley and lavatory, and 15D/15G are bassinet positions.
Economy (rows 20–49, 258 seats, 3-3-3)
Collins Pinnacle at 31in pitch, 17.1in wide, 5in recline, with a three-position pedal footrest, four-way headrest, gasper vents and a 10.6in HD touchscreen. Power is a shared AC outlet plus USB-A — noticeably behind the own-order aircraft. Numbering jumps from 15 straight to 20.
✅ Best Economy seats (leased)
39A, 39K, 43A, 43K — well-centred windows in the quiet stretch of the rear cabin. Legroom: 20C and 20H — 28in to a partially covering wall plus open floor on the aisle side (avoid 20B, 20E, 20J — bassinet middles). Exit row: 34B and 34J — extra legroom with no door structure alongside.
🚫 Economy seats to avoid (leased)
- 34A and 34K — the L3 and R3 doors bulge into roughly 85% and 80% of the seat width, 12 inches ahead of you. Prize exit seats in name only.
- 34D, 34E, 34F — 30in of clear bulkhead space undermined by a lavatory door directly ahead.
- Rows 32 and 33 — mid-cabin lavatory block; 32D, 32E and 32F are the least affected.
- Rows 47, 48, 49 — row 47 backs onto the rear lavatories; 48 and 49 are centre-only and do not recline.
Be aware: 22A, 22K, 29A, 29K, 38A, 38K, 42A and 42K have misaligned windows.
Quick-pick summary
| Traveller | Own-order 787-9 | Leased HZ-RXX |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, Business | 2A, 2K, 4A, 4K, 6A, 6K | 11A, 11K, 12A, 12K |
| Couple, Business | 1E+1F (Business Elite) | 11D+11G, 12D+12G |
| Premium Economy | 9A, 9K (8A/8K for legroom) | Not fitted |
| Economy, best overall | 25A, 25K | 39A, 39K, 43A, 43K |
| Economy, legroom | 14C, 14D, 14G, 14H | 20C, 20H, 34B, 34J |
FAQ
Does every Riyadh Air 787-9 have Premium Economy?
No. The own-order aircraft have a 39-seat Premium Economy cabin in rows 8 to 13. The single leased aircraft, HZ-RXX, has no Premium Economy at all — just Business and Economy.
Which Business seats are best for solo travellers?
On the own-order aircraft, the even-row windows: 2A, 2K, 4A, 4K, 6A, 6K. The even-row centre seats — 2D, 2G, 4D, 4G, 6D, 6G — work as solo suites too. On the leased jet, 11A and 11K.
What is Business Elite and is it worth paying for?
Business Elite is the four-suite row 1 sub-product on the own-order 787-9: 1C, 1E, 1F and 1H. You get a 32-inch screen instead of 22, more personal space, and an electrically controlled divider between the centre pair. Genuinely better for couples; solo travellers may prefer 2A or 2K, further from the forward galley.
Is the exit row the best seat in Economy?
Not on either aircraft. On the own-order 787-9, row 24 has a lavatory door ahead of the centre seats and no A or K seat at all — row 25 is the better pick. On the leased aircraft, 34A and 34K lose most of their legroom to the door structure, so target 34B and 34J.
Do the Business suites have doors?
On the own-order aircraft, yes — every one of the 28 Safran Unity suites has a sliding door and 52-inch walls. On the leased HZ-RXX, no: the Collins Apex suites have a wrap-around shell and retractable divider but no door.
Is Wi-Fi free on Riyadh Air's 787-9?
The own-order aircraft carry Viasat Ka-band and Riyadh Air offers it free gate to gate. The leased aircraft uses an older OnAir satellite system — usable for messaging and browsing, but noticeably slower.
Related Guides
- Oman Air Boeing 787-9 seat guide — the cabin Riyadh Air's leased jet still wears
- Saudia Boeing 787-9 seat guide
- All Boeing 787-9 seat guides