Riyadh Air and Saudia Launch Historic Codeshare Agreement in Major Aviation Milestone
Riyadh Air, the Kingdom's new national carrier and a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company, alongside Saudia, has officially launched the first phase of their strategic cooperation agreement. This pioneering partnership marks a globally unique collaboration between Saudi Arabia’s two national airlines.
This milestone builds upon the strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. The MoU established a comprehensive framework for cooperation—including codeshare agreements and loyalty program benefits—designed to unify efforts and advance the aviation objectives outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.
Technological Integration and Domestic Expansion
To facilitate this initial phase, Riyadh Air—the world’s only airline operating on a true Offer and Order-based platform—has integrated its IT infrastructure with Saudia’s passenger service system. This alignment allows both carriers to execute the codeshare agreement seamlessly within their technological environments, providing guests with expansive and highly integrated connectivity.
Under the partnership, Riyadh Air will apply its (RX) designator code to Saudia-operated flights originating from its hub at King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh to six primary domestic destinations:
Abha (ABH)
Gassim (ELQ)
Dammam (DMM)
Jeddah (JED)
Medina (MED)
Tabuk (TUU)
Enhanced Passenger Experience
The codeshare agreement unlocks diverse and smooth travel options across both networks. Key passenger benefits include:
Single-Ticket Global Routing: Guests can book complex itineraries on a single ticket. For example, a traveler can fly from Dammam to Madrid via Riyadh, or arrive from Kuala Lumpur and continue seamlessly to Medina.
Optimized Scheduling: Placing the (RX) code on daily Saudia flights aligns connection times perfectly with Riyadh Air’s arrivals and departures at King Khalid International Airport, maximizing flexibility and convenience.
Streamlined Transit: With both carriers operating out of Terminals 1 through 4 at RUH, connecting passengers will enjoy a unified airport experience, complete with single-ticket booking and direct baggage check-through to their final destinations.