All Nippon Airways (ANA) signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabian startup Riyadh Air to cooperate on network development, including potential codesharing.
Riyadh Air launched operations in June and has ambitious plans to build an international network from the Saudi capital. “The two carriers aim to build convenient connectivity between Riyadh and Tokyo via key connecting points, while creating a foundation for future expansion as both networks grow,” the airlines said in a joint statement.
Neither ANA nor Riyadh Air operates between Saudi Arabia and Japan. The only airline connecting Riyadh and Tokyo currently is Saudia, which operates 1,788 two-way seats between King Khalid International (RUH) and Narita (NRT) airports, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
Riyadh Air added four new routes from RUH this month, including daily Boeing 787-9 service to Dhaka, Bangladesh; Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan; and Mumbai. The new routes bring the carrier’s network to nine cities, with plans to grow to 22 destinations by March 2027 before ultimately serving more than 100 international cities by 2030.
ANA and Riyadh Air said the partnership, which is subject to regulatory approvals, “is intended to leverage Riyadh Air's hub in Riyadh and ANA's dual hub [at NRT and Tokyo Haneda] to support more seamless travel options and improve access to domestic and international markets.”
The airlines said they expect to engage in interlining, codesharing and loyalty program reciprocity.
ANA CEO Juichi Hirasawa said the Japanese airline has “ambition to connect Japan with Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East—a region of remarkable economic growth.”
At the recent Farnborough Airshow, Riyadh Air firmed an order for six additional Airbus A350-1000s and exercised options for 28 Boeing 787s. The carrier also recently secured regulatory approval to launch services to Beijing and Shanghai, as well as authority to begin operations to the U.S.
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