Air India, Riyadh Air ink initial pact for codeshare partnership

Mumbai: Tata Group-owned Air India and newly launched Saudi Arabia's national carrier Riyadh Air have signed an initial agreement for a planned codeshare partnership and interline arrangement, among others, according to a statement.

The memorandum of understanding aims to establish the foundation for a partnership that will offer air travellers seamless connections between India, Saudi Arabia, and destinations beyond, leveraging geographical advantages of their hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Riyadh, it said.

Subject to regulatory approvals, Air India, and Riyadh Air intend to introduce interline and codeshare arrangements that will enable customers to travel seamlessly across each other's networks with the convenience of a single booking and smoother onward connections via their respective hubs, Riyadh Air said.


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The partnership supports growing demand for travel linked to business, tourism, and family visits, reflecting the deep economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties between Saudi Arabia and India, it stated.

The two airlines will also explore collaboration across a range of areas, including reciprocal loyalty programme benefits, cargo services, operational support and digital and technology initiatives designed to enhance the guest experience.

"India is one of the most important and dynamic aviation markets in the world, and this partnership with Air India marks a defining step in Riyadh Air's mission to connect Saudi Arabia with key global destinations. Together, we will offer guests a seamless, world-class experience that reflects the deep cultural and economic bonds shared between our two nations," Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said.

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India and Saudi Arabia are two important growth markets in global aviation today, and the scale and momentum in both countries make this a natural partnership, Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said.

"We look forward to working with Riyadh Air to bring together the complementary strengths of the two airlines to unlock that opportunity with a focus on offering our guests more choice across our combined networks," he added.