Saudi startup airline Riyadh Air has signed 11 new agreements with strategic partners as it looks to commence operations later this year.
The partnerships are across a range of sales and distribution providers in over 125 countries.
The airline said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreements will “boost its brand visibility while promoting its diverse range of flight services and products”.
“These agreements reinforce Riyadh Air's determination to be a truly global airline and push the boundaries of travel for our guests,” said Riyadh Air SVP marketing and corporate communications Osamah Alnuaiser.
The deals — aimed at enhancing the carrier's offerings — include partnerships with dnata, Discover the World Momentum, Aviareps, and Satguru Representation Services.
Additionally, the company highlighted its partnership with customer loyalty programme Loyalty Juggernaut, as well as travel technology distributors AirRetailer, Amadeus, Sabre, TPConnects, and Verteil Technologies.
The company had received its air operators certificate (AOC) in early April this year. This came after a spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Airline Economics in February that the airline would receive its AOC “imminently”.
Riyadh Air said in January that it had pushed back its launch date from mid-2025 to the third quarter of the year as a result of delays to 787-9 deliveries. The airline has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring aircraft from Boeing's inventory of 25 737-8s and four 787s that were originally bound for China until the country halted deliveries from the US OEM amid ongoing tensions surrounding tariffs.