ATLANTA- Delta Air Lines (DL), a leading premium airline, and Riyadh Air (RX), Saudi Arabia’s innovative new full-service global carrier, have signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding.
This agreement aims to introduce a wide range of benefits for customers traveling between North America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and beyond.
Delta Riyadh Air Partnership
Signed today at Delta’s World Headquarters in Atlanta, the agreement lays the foundation for a strategic partnership that will enhance connectivity, expand networks, and drive future growth for both airlines.
“This partnership with Riyadh Air will advance Delta’s mission of connecting the world, offering new choices, benefits, and destinations for our customers traveling to and from Saudi Arabia,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.
Riyadh Air shares Delta’s commitment to an elevated customer experience, and we look forward to growing this partnership in the coming months and years. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the Riyadh Air team and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as they transform the Kingdom’s transportation economy.”
Delta CEO Ed Bastian
“We anticipate a warm and productive relationship with Delta Air Lines, one of the largest and most successful airlines globally. Riyadh Air and Delta share common goals and pursue the highest standards in guest experience, loyalty, and sustainability, supported by strong networks and connectivity,” said Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas.
The agreement envisions a long-term relationship, pending regulatory approvals, which includes interline and codeshare connectivity, and a deeper partnership in areas like loyalty programs, customer experience, digital transformation, and broader aviation services such as maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, ground handling, and training.
In the future, the airlines plan to explore an immunized joint venture to further expand the partnership and collaborate on network planning and regional growth. Both airlines are dedicated to implementing the best sustainability practices as they shape the future of travel.
The partnership will introduce new destinations in Saudi Arabia and beyond for Delta customers, including potential nonstop service between the U.S. and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
It will offer leisure travelers a new region to explore and create opportunities for business travelers to visit Riyadh, a G20 capital city, and other destinations. Additionally, it will provide Riyadh Air customers with access to Delta’s extensive North American network, offering convenient connections to hundreds of destinations in the U.S. and beyond, with Delta’s renowned reliability and elevated service.
Strengthening ties with Best in the World
The new partnership emerges as large-scale investments transform the Kingdom into a popular destination for leisure and business travelers. Travel plays a key role in Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic growth plan, which includes an $800 billion investment in the tourism sector.
This investment covers the development of luxury resorts on the Red Sea, the opening of the Diriyah and al-Ula historical sites, and the hosting of the 2030 Riyadh Expo.
Riyadh Air, set to begin operations in 2025, aims to establish itself as a premier carrier for travelers to and from the Middle East, with its base in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Delta, celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, is the most-awarded U.S. airline, known for its industry-leading global network, exceptional customer service, and operational excellence.
“Riyadh Air should begin its journey the same year Delta launches our second century of flight,” Bastian said. “We’ll have many opportunities to learn from each other and improve as airlines for our mutual customers, employees, investors, and communities as we fly forward together.”
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