SIA to form commercial partnership with Riyadh Air

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a new partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, a new airline due to be commercially operational in 2025.

Under the MOU, both carriers will explore opportunities for interline connectivity on each other’s services while also working on potential areas of commercial cooperation, such as codeshare arrangements.

Other areas in which SIA and Riyadh Air may cooperate include reciprocal benefits for frequent flyer programme members, cargo services, customer experience, and digital innovation as a “precursor to a deeper, long-term strategic partnership”.

In a joint statement on Tuesday (Jun 4), both carriers said the MOU will potentially offer Riyadh Air’s guests access to SIA’S network in South-east Asia and the South-west Pacific region.

It will also allow SIA’S customers greater access to the Middle East region through Riyadh Air’s network.

Tony Douglas, chief executive of Riyadh Air, said the Saudi company’s cooperation with SIA will start with a wide-ranging codeshare agreement, and is expected to include a “broad range of areas” including digital and technology, loyalty and cargo.

Dubbing it a “win-win strategic partnership”, SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong said the arrangement will enable the group to offer more options, better connectivity, and greater benefits to its customers.

“Together, we can facilitate the growth of passenger travel between Saudi Arabia and Singapore, and beyond, via our respective networks, supporting both tourism and business links,” said Goh.

“The MOU will also allow us to find ways to work together to enhance customer experience and cargo services, and harness digital tools and solutions, potentially bringing greater benefits to both airlines in the future,” he added.