Saudia And Air India Sign Codeshare Agreement To Boost Connectivity Between Saudi Arabia And India

Saudia and Air India are launching a new codeshare agreement in February that links their networks and simplifies journeys between Saudi Arabia and India. The deal gives passengers on both airlines more flight choices, better connections through shared routes, and simpler travel processes across key tourism, business, and visiting‑friends markets between the two countries.

Under the partnership, travellers can book through either airline and use a single ticket for their entire trip. It allows one booking reference, coordinated schedules, and baggage checked through to the final destination, which reduces connection stress and helps ensure smoother transfers at busy hubs in both Saudi Arabia and India.

The codeshare gives Saudia customers greater access to India through Mumbai and Delhi. Travellers from Saudi Arabia can reach important Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Jaipur, and more than 15 additional points via interline links, increasing options for business, religious travel, medical visits, and family trips.

Air India passengers gain new onward connections inside the Kingdom when flying to Jeddah or Riyadh. From these gateways, they can connect to Saudia services to Dammam, Abha, Qassim, Jizan, Madinah, and Taif. Codeshare flights also now operate on the busy Jeddah–Riyadh route, enabling passengers to arrive in one city and leave from the other.

The February launch builds on Saudia’s wider cooperation strategy. Saudia already has 25 active codeshare arrangements with other airlines. Through those partnerships, Saudia customers can reach more than 100 extra international destinations, while partner airlines can feed passengers into many domestic airports across Saudi Arabia, strengthening international links with the Kingdom.

Connections to selected additional international routes are planned to join the Saudia and Air India codeshare later in 2024. These future links are expected to complement existing networks, support growing passenger flows between Asia and the Middle East, and help both airlines respond to changing demand patterns across leisure, business, and religious travel segments.

Saudia Group Director General Ibrahim Al-Omar said: "The codeshare agreement with Air India marks a strategic step forward, given both airlines’ long histories and their shared commitment to increasing connectivity within their home markets and between their countries, while offering guests broader access to more destinations through simplified travel procedures that elevate the overall travel experience."

Ibrahim Al-Omar added: "Saudia’s presence in India spans over 60 years, during which we have proudly served a wide range of guests and helped foster stronger ties between our two nations. Saudi Arabia is a great place to visit, and with seamless e-visas, stopover visas, and also visa-on-arrival for eligible Indian passport holders, it has never been easier to visit the Kingdom."

Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said: "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. 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."

The agreement between Saudia and Air India underlines the importance of travel flows between the Kingdom and India. By combining extensive domestic networks, new codeshare routes, and simplified visa options for eligible Indian passport holders, the two airlines seek to support tourism growth, business links, and community ties while strengthening Saudi Arabia’s role as a regional aviation hub.

With inputs from SPA