Dhaka: Saudi Arabian national flag carrier Saudia and Indian global airline Air India have signed a codeshare agreement, set to take effect from February. Through the new partnership, passengers will enjoy streamlined booking and ticketing, smooth connections using a single itinerary, and baggage check-through to their final destination.

The recently signed agreement will offer Saudia’s customers access to major cities across India via Mumbai and Delhi, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, and Jaipur, as well as more than 15 other destinations through interline connections.

Meanwhile, Air India passengers traveling to Jeddah or Riyadh will enjoy seamless onward connections on Saudia-operated flights to Dammam, Abha, Gassim, Gizan, Madinah, and Taif. Additional connections to complementary international destinations will be introduced later this year.

Engineer Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, remarked, “The codeshare agreement with Air India represents a strategic step forward, given both airlines’ rich histories and their shared commitment to enhancing connectivity within their home markets and between their countries, while offering passengers broader access to more destinations through streamlined travel procedures that elevate the overall travel experience.”

Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India, stated, “Saudi Arabia is one of our most important markets in the Middle East, with the country rapidly transforming into a major international gateway to the region. We are delighted to partner with Saudia to provide greater access to the large Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia, as well as to open up the Kingdom’s evolving tourism offerings and remarkable destinations to holidaymakers from India.”

Saudia currently holds 25 active codeshare agreements, enabling its passengers to access more than 100 additional international destinations, while travelers on partner airlines gain access to a wide range of domestic destinations within the Kingdom.

Similarly, Air India maintains 24 codeshare and nearly 100 interline agreements with leading carriers worldwide, offering seamless access for its customers to over 800 destinations globally.

Saudia and Air India remarked on the collaboration as part of their efforts to boost connectivity, enhance travel experience, strengthen network access, maximize flight options, and support growing demand across tourism, business travel, and wider guest segments.