Riyadh Air and Saudia launch codeshare on domestic Saudi routes

Riyadh Air and Saudia have begun the first phase of a codeshare agreement meant to link domestic and international travel through the Saudi capital, according to the airlines.

Under the arrangement, Riyadh Air's code will appear on Saudia flights between King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and six other Saudi cities: Abha, Al Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, and Tabuk. Passengers arriving in Riyadh on Saudia will be able to continue on a Riyadh Air international flight, or vice versa, on one ticket, with baggage checked through.

Riyadh Air said in a statement that the goal is to give travelers connection options matched to the timing of its Riyadh flights. Both carriers operate from the same terminal complex at the airport, which the airline said would allow for smoother transfers between flights.

Saudia is the kingdom's long-established flag carrier. Riyadh Air, by contrast, is a newer airline, founded in 2023, that only began full commercial flying this summer. The two companies had previously signed a broader strategic partnership, of which this codeshare forms an initial phase. Further details of that wider agreement were not disclosed in the announcement.

For now, the codeshare is limited to the six named domestic routes feeding into Riyadh, rather than a network-wide arrangement between the two airlines.