SINGAPORE, 12 July 2024: Delta Air Lines and Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new full-service carrier, have signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding designed to deliver a wide range of benefits for customers travelling between North America and Saudi Arabia and destinations beyond.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday at a ceremony at Delta’s World Headquarters in Atlanta, is the foundation for a strategic partnership that will enable both airlines to strengthen connectivity, expand their networks and drive future growth. Riyadh Air will inaugurate commercial flights in 2025
“This partnership with Riyadh Air will further Delta’s mission of connecting the world and open an array of new choices, benefits and destinations for our customers travelling to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.
“Most importantly, Riyadh Air shares Delta’s commitment to providing an elevated customer experience, which is why we look forward to building and expanding this partnership in the months and years ahead. We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Riyadh Air team and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as they transform the transportation economy in the Kingdom.”
“We look forward to enjoying a warm and productive relationship with Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s largest and most successful airlines. Riyadh Air and Delta Air Lines share common goals and pursue the highest standards in many areas, including guest experience, loyalty, and sustainability, built upon great networks and strong connectivity,” said Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.
The agreement envisions a long-term relationship, subject to regulatory approvals, that includes interline and codeshare connectivity. It also envisions a deeper partnership encompassing loyalty, customer experience, digital transformation, and broader aviation services such as maintenance, repair, overhaul services, ground handling, and training.
The partnership will open new destinations for Delta customers in Saudi Arabia and beyond, including future nonstop service on Delta between the US and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. It will provide leisure travellers with a new region of the world to explore while creating new opportunities for business travellers to Riyadh, a G20 capital city, plus destinations beyond. It will offer Delta’s leading North American network for Riyadh Air customers, offering convenient access to hundreds of destinations in the US and beyond with Delta’s famous reliability and elevated service.
The new partnership comes as large-scale, ongoing investments in Saudi Arabia transform it into an attractive destination for leisure and business travellers. Travel is central to the nation’s long-term economic growth plan, with a USD800 billion investment in the tourism sector that includes the development of luxury resorts on the Red Sea, the opening of the Diriyah and al-Ula historical sites to visitors, and the hosting of the 2030 Riyadh Expo.
Riyadh Air will begin operations in 2025 based in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
