Air India passengers arriving in Jeddah or Riyadh will be able to connect seamlessly onto Saudia-operated flights to cities including Dammam, Abha, Gassim, Gizan, Madinah and Taif.Supplied
Dubai: Travel between India and Saudi Arabia is set to become simpler from February, with a new codeshare agreement unlocking more flight options, smoother connections and easier onward travel for passengers flying between the two countries.
More Saudi cities on one ticket
Air India passengers arriving in Jeddah or Riyadh will be able to connect seamlessly onto Saudia-operated flights to cities including Dammam, Abha, Gassim, Gizan, Madinah and Taif. The addition of the Jeddah–Riyadh codeshare also gives passengers more flexibility to arrive in one city and depart from another, a practical benefit for both business travellers and tourists.
Connections to selected international destinations will be added later this year, expanding the usefulness of the partnership beyond point-to-point travel.
Easier access to India’s major hubs
The agreement works both ways. Saudia passengers will gain access to a wide spread of Indian cities via Mumbai and Delhi, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow and Jaipur, with more than 15 additional destinations available through interline arrangements. This broadens options for travellers heading into India for business, leisure or family visits.
“Saudi Arabia is amongst our most important markets in the Middle East, with the country fast transforming into a major international gateway to the region,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of Air India. “We are happy to be partnering with Saudia to provide greater access to the large Indian diaspora spread across Saudi Arabia as well as to open up the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving and diverse tourism offerings and remarkable destinations to holidaymakers from India.”
For Saudia, the focus is on simplifying journeys while deepening long-standing ties between the two markets. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, said the agreement is a strategic step that builds on decades of service between the countries.
He added that visiting the Kingdom has become easier for Indian travellers, pointing to e-visas, stopover visas and visa-on-arrival options for eligible passport holders.
The deal also reflects Air India’s broader push to rebuild its global network. Since privatisation in 2022, the airline has expanded to 24 codeshare partnerships and nearly 100 interline agreements, giving its customers access to more than 800 destinations worldwide.
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