Air India partners with Saudia for codeshare agreement, effective February – what should passengers expect?
Tata Group-owned airline Air India and Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier Saudia have signed a codeshare agreement that plans to offer various benefits to guests of both airlines. The agreement will enter into force in February.
“Guests will benefit from streamlined booking and ticketing, hassle-free connections using a single route and baggage check-in to their final destination,” Air India said in a statement.
Thanks to this partnership, airlines; It aims to enhance connectivity, enhance the travel experience, enhance network access, maximize flight options and support growing demand across tourism, business travel and wider guest segments.
What should travelers expect?
The airline said that passengers flying to Jeddah or Riyadh with Air India can easily connect to Dammam, Abha, Gassim, Gizan, Medina and Taif flights operated by Saudi Arabia.
The launch of codeshare flights on the Jeddah-Riyadh route aims to provide guests with greater flexibility in arriving in one city and leaving in a different city. Additional connections to selected international destinations will be introduced later this year.
The partnership will provide Saudi travelers access to major cities in India, including Mumbai and Delhi, as well as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Jaipur and more than 15 other destinations via interline services.
Air India CEO partners with Saudi Arabia
Speaking about the partnership, Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, said: “Saudi Arabia is among our most important markets in the Middle East and the country is fast becoming a major international gateway to the region. We are delighted to be partnering with Saudi Arabia to provide greater access to the large Indian diaspora spread across Saudi Arabia, as well as opening up the Kingdom’s fast-growing and diverse tourism offering and remarkable destinations to holidaymakers from India.”
Meanwhile, HE Eng. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Managing Director of Saudia Group, said: “The codeshare agreement with Air India marks a strategic step forward, given the long history of both airlines and their shared commitment to increasing connectivity between their domestic markets and countries, offering guests broader access to more destinations through simplified travel procedures that enhance the overall travel experience.”
He further added, “Saudi Arabia’s presence in India spans over 60 years, during which time we have proudly served a wide range of guests and helped strengthen ties between our two nations. Saudi Arabia is a wonderful place to visit and visiting the Kingdom has never been easier, with hassle-free e-visas, stay visas as well as visa on arrival for eligible Indian passport holders.”
Air India’s codeshare agreements
Air India has 24 codeshare partnerships and close to 100 interline agreements with airlines across the world, aiming to offer passengers access to over 800 destinations across the world.
