Riyadh Air Joins Amadeus Travel Platform

Riyadh Air, the new national carrier of Saudi Arabia, on Thursday signed a global distribution agreement with Amadeus, a global technology provider for the travel industry.

The strategic partnership will enable Riyadh Air access to one of the largest global networks of travel sellers, supporting the airline’s ambitious growth plans and playing a key role in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s broader transformation agenda under Vision 2030.

By joining the Amadeus Travel Platform, Riyadh Air will connect to travel agencies and sellers in more than 190 countries, ensuring that its offers are accessible to travellers worldwide. This will be instrumental in attracting inbound tourism, promoting Saudi Arabia as a compelling global destination, and helping position the Kingdom as a leading aviation and tourism hub.

Riyadh Air Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Coste said that their mission is to create a truly world‑class airline that reflects the ambition of Saudi Arabia.

“Partnering with Amadeus gives us the global reach, distribution power, and retailing capabilities needed to support our goal of flying to over 100 destinations by 2030 ensuring Riyadh, a G20 capital city, develops strong connectivity to the world in advance of major events such as Riyadh Expo 2030 and FIFA World Cup 2034.

This partnership is not only about enabling seamless travel experiences, but also about contributing to the broader national vision of economic diversification, tourism growth, and enhanced global connectivity,” Coste added.

As part of the agreement, Amadeus will also distribute Riyadh Air’s future NDC (New Distribution Capability) content, allowing the airline to deliver more dynamic, personalised offers to travellers and to take greater control of its indirect sales strategy.

These advanced capabilities will further optimize Riyadh Air’s ability to deliver modern, flexible, and customer-centric retailing.

Major Milestone

Maher Koubaa, Executive Vice President, Travel Unit and Managing Director EMEA, Amadeus, said that the launch of Riyadh Air represents a major milestone for the Kingdom’s aviation industry, and they were proud to be their trusted technology partner from the very beginning.

Koubaa added: “Amadeus brings not only global reach, but also advanced retailing, merchandising, and data‑driven tools that will help Riyadh Air differentiate itself on the global stage. We are excited to support Riyadh Air’s contribution to Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s aspirations to become a global tourism and travel leader.”

Backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and unveiled by Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister H R H Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in 2023, Riyadh Air is set to play a pivotal role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the Kingdom’s economy, stimulate investment in tourism and infrastructure, and create a globally competitive aviation sector.

The airline is expected to contribute over $20 billion to the Kingdom’s non-oil GDP and generate more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Riyadh Air in Expansion Mode

It may be recalled that Riyadh Air has placed an order for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the 55th Edition of Paris Airshow in June this year. The agreement includes 25 firm orders with purchase rights for an additional 25 aircraft.

The A350-1000 aircraft has an operational range of more than 16,000 km, allowing Riyadh Air’s network to reach the farthest corners of the globe and bringing major cities within reach.