Air India & Saudia sign pact to expand codeshare and deepen India-Saudi air links

Gurugram: India and Saudi Arabia’s aviation ties are preparing for a higher altitude. Air India and Saudia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand their strategic partnership, with plans to strengthen connectivity, deepen commercial cooperation and offer travellers more seamless journeys between the two countries.

The agreement builds on the airlines’ existing codeshare partnership and outlines a phased roadmap to broaden collaboration as passenger demand between India and Saudi Arabia continues to grow.

The MoU was signed by Saudia Group director general Ibrahim Al-Omar and Air India chief executive officer and managing director Campbell Wilson.

Under the agreement, the airlines will work towards expanding their existing codeshare arrangement, improving connectivity across their respective route networks and exploring terminal co-location at airports. They will also examine additional operational and commercial opportunities, including cooperation between their loyalty programmes.

The partnership could eventually be extended to other airlines within their respective groups, including flyadeal and Air India Express.

Saudia director general Ibrahim Al-Omar said India remains a key market for the airline and described Air India as an important partner in strengthening travel links between the two countries. He said the collaboration would provide passengers with greater choice, improved flexibility and smoother travel across both networks while also opening new operational and commercial opportunities for the two carriers.

Air India chief executive officer and managing director Campbell Wilson said the growing relationship between India and Saudi Arabia across trade, business and people-to-people ties creates significant opportunities for aviation. He added that closer collaboration between the two airlines would help improve customer experience while supporting the long-term growth ambitions of both carriers.

The memorandum establishes a framework for expanding cooperation across multiple areas as the airlines continue to strengthen their international networks and respond to rising travel demand between India and Saudi Arabia.

The latest agreement also reflects Air India’s broader international expansion strategy following its privatisation in 2022. The airline now has 25 codeshare partnerships and more than 120 interline agreements with global carriers, enabling customers to connect to over 1,000 destinations worldwide through its partner network.