Air India and Riyadh Air have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a partnership aimed at enhancing connectivity between India, Saudi Arabia and destinations beyond through their respective networks.
The agreement reflects the shared ambition of both full-service carriers to offer travellers seamless travel options by leveraging their hubs in Delhi, Mumbai and Riyadh.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the two airlines plan to introduce interline and codeshare arrangements that will enable passengers to travel across each other’s networks through a single booking, while benefiting from smoother onward connections.
The partnership will also explore collaboration across loyalty programmes, cargo services, operational support, and digital and technology initiatives designed to improve the overall customer experience.
According to the airlines, the agreement supports growing travel demand driven by business, tourism and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic, while reflecting the strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Saudi Arabia.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said, “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. We look forward to working with Riyadh Air to bring together complementary strengths of the two airlines to unlock that opportunity with a focus on offering our guests more choice across our combined networks and elevating their travel experiences.”
Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, stated, “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.”
Since its privatisation in 2022, Air India has significantly expanded its global alliance network. Today, the airline maintains 25 codeshare partnerships and nearly 120+ interline agreements with leading carriers worldwide, providing seamless access for Air India customers to over 1,000 destinations globally.
Riyadh Air has recently launched public sales on its website and app for flights to London Heathrow, with inaugural flights set to take off on July 1. This new route offers Indian guests, via seamless connections through Riyadh, a direct gateway to the United Kingdom and Europe, further expanding the possibilities for business, leisure, and family travel.
 to establish the foundation for a partnership that will offer guests seamless connections between India, Saudi Arabia, and destinations beyond.){kind=link}