Riyadh Air and Saudia have activated the first phase of their strategic partnership, opening up six Saudi destinations through codeshare flights and paving the way for single-ticket journeys, through-checked baggage and reciprocal loyalty benefits. Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers are moving into a new phase of cooperation, with Riyadh Air and Saudia activating the first stage of their Strategic Cooperation Agreement and opening up new domestic and international connections for passengers.
The partnership, which builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023, will initially allow Riyadh Air to place its RX code on selected Saudia-operated flights connecting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with Abha, Al Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina and Tabuk. For Riyadh Air, the agreement immediately extends the reach of its network across Saudi Arabia without requiring the airline to operate those domestic routes itself. For travellers, it means more destinations, easier transfers and the ability to combine flights operated by the two airlines within a single journey.
Six Saudi cities join the network
The first phase gives Riyadh Air passengers access to six key destinations across Saudi Arabia through Saudia’s established domestic network, while also creating new connections between those cities and Riyadh Air’s international services. A traveller starting a journey in Dammam, for example, will be able to fly with Saudia to Riyadh before connecting to a Riyadh Air service to Madrid on a single ticket. International passengers will benefit in the opposite direction, with someone travelling from Kuala Lumpur able to connect through Riyadh and continue with Saudia to Medina. The airlines said the connecting services will be aligned with Riyadh Air’s schedules, giving passengers more convenient options for combining domestic and international journeys through the Saudi capital. The arrangement also supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to develop Riyadh into a major global aviation hub, with domestic traffic feeding into an expanding network of international services.
One ticket and bags checked through
The partnership is designed to make the connection between the two airlines relatively seamless for passengers. As both carriers operate within the terminal complex at King Khalid International Airport, eligible travellers will be able to complete connecting journeys on a single ticket and have their baggage checked through to their final destination. Riyadh Air Business Class passengers connecting onto eligible Saudia-operated services will also be able to access Saudia lounges at qualifying departure points and while transferring through Riyadh. Fast-track security and priority boarding will be available where offered.
These passenger-facing benefits are particularly significant as Riyadh Air expands internationally. Rather than treating its own operated routes as a standalone network, the codeshare allows the airline to use Saudia’s extensive domestic presence to provide connections from across the Kingdom to its international flights.
Loyalty benefits are coming next
The next phase of the partnership will extend beyond flight connections. Riyadh Air and Saudia plan to introduce reciprocal earning and redemption opportunities between Riyadh Air’s Sfeer and Saudia’s Alfursan loyalty programmes in the coming months. The airlines are also working on a lounge access agreement covering selected airports in Saudi Arabia and international markets, potentially giving frequent flyers greater flexibility when travelling across the combined networks. The codeshare relationship will eventually work in both directions. Saudia plans to place its SV designator on selected Riyadh Air-operated services as the new carrier expands its international network, giving Saudia passengers access to additional destinations and flight options.
Together, the developments could create a much broader virtual network for both airlines, with Saudia feeding passengers from its domestic and international services into Riyadh Air flights and Riyadh Air providing new international connections for Saudia customers.
The technology behind the partnership
Making that connectivity possible has required the integration of two very different airline technology environments. Riyadh Air has connected its Offer-Order platform with Saudia’s Passenger Service System, allowing the carriers to implement the codeshare across their respective systems. The integration has been developed and tested over three years by the two airlines and their technology partners FLYR, INK and Amadeus. It is also expected to provide the technological foundation for Riyadh Air’s wider codeshare and interline ambitions. The airline already has partnership agreements or memoranda in place with nearly 15 carriers worldwide, making airline partnerships an important part of its strategy for rapidly extending its global reach.
Vincent Coste, Chief Commercial Officer of Riyadh Air, described the integration of different technology environments as a fundamental part of the airline’s digital-native model and the first major step in its cooperation with Saudia as a significant industry milestone. “By combining our strengths, we are fundamentally redefining the travel experience within Saudi Arabia and those connecting to it,” Coste said.
Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer of Saudia, said the codeshare would provide passengers with greater choice and connectivity across the Kingdom while creating new opportunities to connect domestic and international journeys.
The cooperation between Riyadh Air and Saudia also feeds into the much larger transformation taking place across Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector under the National Aviation Strategy. Riyadh Air is being developed as a major international carrier centred on the Saudi capital, while Saudia brings an extensive existing domestic and international network to the partnership. Connecting the two gives both airlines the opportunity to expand their effective reach while offering passengers more options for travelling into, out of and across the Kingdom.
The first six domestic destinations are therefore only the beginning. With Saudia codeshares on Riyadh Air flights, reciprocal Sfeer and Alfursan benefits and wider lounge access still to come, the partnership is set to become considerably more extensive as Riyadh Air’s international network grows.
