Airlines
Middle East Airlines’ Orders Set To Double Fleet Size
Will the Gulf carriers' ambitious fleet expansion outrun demand?
Riyadh Air
Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air recently became the 14th scheduled carrier in the Gulf Cooperation Council states. © AIN/David McIntosh

With six of the 14 airlines based in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states boasting order books bigger than their existing fleets, some question whether the threat of overcapacity looms in the region’s rapidly expanding commercial aviation sector.

At least 1,525 airplanes currently on order will more than double the existing fleet of nearly 1,200 airliners operating in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Qatar Airways alone has orders for a total of 330 airplanes, with Emirates just behind at 305.