ANA and Riyadh Air sign memorandum on network cooperation

All Nippon Airways and Riyadh Air have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding connectivity between Japan and Saudi Arabia, the two carriers said this week.

The agreement covers potential new routes linking the airlines' hubs in Tokyo and Riyadh. It also leaves room for further cooperation, including interline ticketing, codeshare flights, and reciprocal loyalty programs, according to officials from both airlines.

Neither carrier currently flies nonstop between the two countries. Riyadh Air, which began commercial operations earlier this summer, has no direct service to Japan. ANA, for its part, does not fly to Saudi Arabia. That leaves Saudia as the only airline connecting the two markets once its planned Riyadh-to-Tokyo route begins later this year.

The memorandum did not name specific new routes, though the partners said more details could follow.

Riyadh Air chief executive Tony Douglas said the agreement reflects the carrier's broader ambition to build global partnerships as it expands its network. That network now spans more than a dozen destinations since the airline launched earlier this year.

The memorandum is an early step for Riyadh Air, one of several new airlines backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The carrier is trying to establish itself in international markets and build relationships with established long-haul carriers such as ANA.