As further evidence of the importance of US carriers establishing and expanding travel options to the Middle East, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has announced the signing of a new codeshare agreement with Saudia Airlines, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement, which remains subject to regulatory approval, builds on the existing interline agreement between the two companies.
The signing of the new codeshare agreement aims to expand the choice of destinations for Delta customers between North America and the Arabian Peninsula. Flights to be operated under the agreement carrying dual flight numbers will only go on sale once all regulatory approvals have been received by the relevant authorities.
Under the new codeshare program, Delta customers will gain access to nine new destinations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East which are served by Saudia via their two main hubs located at King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah and King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh.
In the reverse direction, Saudia customers will gain access to 12 destinations in the US through Delta’s hubs located at New York-JFK Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Although the codeshare aims to attract a slice of the lucrative business traffic traveling between the US and the Kingdom, leisure travelers are also a target market according to a Delta statement.
Delta and Saudia are both members of the SkyTeam alliance, meaning that synergies will be possible elsewhere other than just the doubling up of flight codes. Frequent Flyers of both airlines will continue to earn and redeem miles on the other carrier, while SkyTeam Elite Plus travelers benefit from SkyPriority services which include priority check-in, baggage drop-off, security, and boarding. At the point of arrival, priority baggage handling, transfers, and immigration are also offered.
“Saudia’s growing Jeddah hub and extensive network bring Delta customers closer to greater access to destinations across one of the world’s most important economic regions,” said Perry Cantarutti, Senior Vice President of Alliances at Delta. “Strengthening our partnership responds to customer demand for more travel choices between the Gulf and North America.”
“Signing this codeshare agreement with Delta Air Lines reflects Saudia’s commitment to expanding its flight network, providing seamless travel experiences, and enhancing its global connectivity,” commented Arved Von Zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia. “This provides Saudia’s guests with more travel options, promoting the local tourism sector and allowing international visitors to discover the diversity of the Kingdom’s attractions.”
He continued: “This partnership between two legacy airlines fosters greater collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, opening up new possibilities for commercial and tourism relations. We look forward to furthering our cooperation and exploring additional opportunities with Delta.”
The agreement marks yet another step in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious growth plans for aviation both within the Kingdom and for its two main airlines, Saudia and Riyadh Air. The country is in the process of broadening its ambitions for both commercial aviation and tourism through the Saudi National Tourism Strategy. This plan, known as Vision 2030, has set a target of attracting more than 150 million tourists to the Kingdom by 2030.
This deal between Delta and Saudia becomes the latest in a series of agreements between US and Middle Eastern carriers, including those between oneworld members American Airlines and Qatar Airways, JetBlue, and Etihad via its gateways at Boston and New York-JFK, and United with Dubai-based mega carrier Emirates.
