Riyadh: Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, and Air India, India's leading global airline, have signed a codeshare agreement that will take effect in February. The agreement introduces a range of benefits for Saudia's and Air India's guests, boosting connectivity, enhancing travel experience, strengthening network access, maximising flight options, and supporting growing demand across tourism, business travel, and wider guest segments.
According to Saudi Press Agency, through the new partnership, guests will enjoy streamlined booking and ticketing, smooth connections using a single itinerary, and baggage check-through to their final destination. The codeshare will provide Saudia's guests access to major cities across India via Mumbai and Delhi, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, and Jaipur, and more than 15 other destinations as interline.
Air India guests travelling to Jeddah or Riyadh with Air India can take seamless onward connections on Saudia-operated flights to Dammam, Abha, Qassim, Jizan, Madinah, and Taif. The addition of codeshare flights on the Jeddah-Riyadh route now allows guests more flexibility to arrive in one city and depart from another. Connections to select complementary international destinations will be added later this year.
Saudia Group Director General Ibrahim Al-Omar expressed that the codeshare agreement with Air India marks a strategic step forward, given both airlines' long histories and their shared commitment to increasing connectivity within their home markets and between their countries. This partnership offers guests broader access to more destinations through simplified travel procedures that elevate the overall travel experience.
He highlighted Saudia's longstanding presence in India, spanning over 60 years, serving a wide range of guests and fostering stronger ties between the two nations. He emphasized that Saudi Arabia is a great place to visit, with seamless e-visas, stopover visas, and visa-on-arrival options for eligible Indian passport holders, making it easier to visit the Kingdom.
Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson acknowledged Saudi Arabia as one of the most important markets in the Middle East, transforming into a major international gateway to the region. He expressed happiness in partnering with Saudia to provide greater access to the large Indian diaspora spread across Saudi Arabia and to open up the Kingdom's evolving tourism offerings and destinations to Indian holidaymakers.
Saudia currently has 25 active codeshare agreements, allowing its guests to access more than 100 additional international destinations. These agreements also enable travelers on partner airlines to reach a wide range of domestic destinations in the Kingdom, reinforcing Saudia's role in expanding global connectivity and bringing the world to Saudi Arabia.