Delta Air Lines and Riyadh Air have signed a strategic agreement to expand connectivity and premium travel options across North America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Delta will now serve as Riyadh Air’s exclusive North American partner.
On Tuesday (July 9, 2024), Delta Air Lines announced the signing of a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Riyadh Air. The agreement will expand connectivity and premium travel options across North America, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. Under the strategic partnership, Delta will become Riyadh Air’s exclusive North American Partner, while Riyadh Air will become Delta’s exclusive partner in Riyadh and beyond. The agreement was signed today at Delta’s World Headquarters in Atlanta, and serves as a foundation for driving enhanced connectivity, network expansion and future growth.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Delta Air Lines’ CEO, Ed Bastian, said,
“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 traveling to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most importantly, Riyadh Air shares Delta's commitment to providing an elevated customer experience, which is why we're looking 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.
“It’s fitting that Riyadh Air will begin its journey the same year [2025] that Delta launches our second century of flight. We’ll have many opportunities to learn from each other and become better airlines for our mutual customers, our employees, our investors and our communities as we fly forward together.”
Also commenting on the new commercial cooperation between the two carrier’s, Riyadh Air’s CEO, Tony Douglas, said,
“We look forward to enjoying a very warm and productive relationship with Delta Air Lines, one of the largest and most successful airlines in the world. 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.”
Subject to regulatory approvals, the new agreement envisions a long-term relationship that includes interline and codeshare connectivity, along with a deeper partnership encompassing loyalty, guest experience, digital transformation, and aviation services such as repair and overhaul, ground handling and training. The airlines also intend to explore an immunized joint venture to allow collaboration on network planning and growth in the region.
Launched in March 2023, Riyadh Air, a PIF company, will commence operations in 2025 as a premier airline for customers traveling to and from the Middle East. The carrier will operate from their base in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh Air will be a digitally led, full-service airline that adopts the best global sustainability and safety practices across their advanced fleet of new generation aircraft. The airline will equip their aircraft with best-in-class cabin interiors, next generation digital IFE systems, and advanced connectivity solutions. By 2030, Riyadh Air plans to serve over 100 destinations worldwide, offering an exceptional guest experience with authentic, warm, Saudi hospitality.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is the global U.S. airline leader in safety, innovation, reliability and customer experience. The carrier operates over 4,000 daily flights across more than 290 destinations on six continents. Delta has over 100,000 team members and has served over 190 million customers in 2023. The airline operates significant hubs and key markets in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Bogota, Boston, Detroit, Lima, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Santiago (Chile), São Paulo, Seattle, Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo. For the last decade, Delta has led the industry in operational excellence, while maintaining their reputation for award-winning customer service.
Source: Delta Air Lines