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All Nippon Airways and more airlines are set to transform Middle East travel, making journeys better, easier and more connected through new partnerships, wider networks and seamless global connections.
All Nippon Airways and more airlines are moving to transform Middle East travel, making international journeys better and easier through expanding partnerships and stronger global connectivity. Now, Riyadh Air’s new agreement with ANA highlights how airlines are connecting Saudi Arabia, Japan and destinations beyond with greater choice. Meanwhile, partnerships involving Air India, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France-KLM, Delta and others are reshaping network access. As a result, travellers could gain smoother connections, wider route options and improved loyalty benefits. Therefore, this growing airline cooperation wave could make Middle East travel faster, simpler and far more globally connected.
Riyadh Air and ANA’s new Memorandum of Understanding is part of a wider global aviation strategy in which airlines are using interline agreements, codeshares, loyalty reciprocity and hub-to-hub partnerships to expand travel choices without relying solely on launching their own flights. Similar airline-by-airline cooperation already connects Saudi Arabia with India, Singapore, Türkiye, Europe, China, North America, Egypt and other major markets, making partnerships increasingly important for international travel, tourism, trade and business connectivity.
The agreement between Riyadh Air and All Nippon Airways, announced on 18 August 2026, creates a framework for potential cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan, with the two airlines aiming to improve connections between Riyadh, Tokyo and destinations beyond their respective networks. Subject to regulatory approvals, the MoU contemplates interline connectivity, codeshare arrangements and loyalty programme reciprocity, while bringing together Riyadh Air’s Saudi hub ambitions and ANA’s extensive access across Japan and international markets.
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Airlines are increasingly recognising that a strong global network does not always require operating an aircraft to every destination, because commercial partnerships can extend their reach through another carrier’s hubs, domestic routes and international services while giving passengers access to more destinations through connected journeys. This approach is particularly important for travel and tourism because a single partnership can link markets that would otherwise require separate tickets, fragmented baggage arrangements and more complicated itineraries, potentially making international journeys easier for leisure travellers, corporate passengers and visiting friends and relatives.
The Riyadh Air–ANA MoU therefore represents more than a potential connection between two capital cities, because its longer-term value lies in what happens beyond Riyadh and Tokyo, where both carriers can potentially feed passengers into each other’s wider networks. As airlines compete to secure strategic positions at major global hubs, these arrangements can strengthen tourism flows, support trade and give emerging carriers access to established networks while providing legacy airlines with stronger connections into rapidly growing aviation markets.
Riyadh Air and ANA are seeking to create more convenient travel options between Saudi Arabia and Japan by gradually developing cooperation across network connectivity and customer-facing services, with future arrangements dependent on regulatory approvals and commercial implementation. The partnership is intended to use Riyadh Air’s hub in Riyadh and ANA’s dual Tokyo hub structure to improve access to domestic and international destinations, creating potential opportunities for passengers travelling well beyond the Saudi and Japanese markets.
For ANA, stronger intermediate and beyond-Riyadh connectivity could help capture demand from Japan into Saudi Arabia and wider international markets, while Riyadh Air gains another major Asian partner as it develops its own global network and international proposition. The agreement could also support tourism between Saudi Arabia and Japan at a time when both markets are seeking stronger international connectivity, while business exchanges and broader economic links create additional reasons for airlines to build efficient long-haul and connecting travel options.
Riyadh Air and All Nippon Airways have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Japan, while opening the door to wider travel opportunities across Asia, the Middle East and international markets.
The agreement, announced on 18 August 2026, brings together two strategically important aviation markets with growing potential for business, tourism and trade. Subject to regulatory approvals, the partnership establishes a framework for Riyadh Air and ANA to progressively introduce new customer benefits, including potential interline connectivity, codeshare arrangements and loyalty programme reciprocity.
The MoU also reflects the growing importance of Riyadh as an international aviation hub and the increasing role of Japan in connecting travellers across Asia and beyond.
The proposed cooperation is designed to make journeys between Saudi Arabia and Japan more convenient by connecting Riyadh Air’s expanding network with ANA’s extensive domestic and international operations.
Riyadh Air plans to use its Riyadh hub as a gateway linking passengers travelling through Saudi Arabia with destinations across its growing global network. ANA, meanwhile, operates through its dual Tokyo hub structure, providing significant access to destinations throughout Japan, Asia and other international markets.
The airlines aim to develop convenient connectivity between Riyadh and Tokyo through key connecting points. As both carriers expand their networks, the partnership could create additional opportunities for passengers travelling onwards beyond their original destination.
For ANA, improved intermediate and beyond-Riyadh connectivity could become an important part of its strategy for serving demand into Saudi Arabia and accessing broader international markets. The arrangement is therefore expected to support not only point-to-point travel but also connecting traffic across both airlines’ networks.
While the agreement remains subject to regulatory approvals and further development, the MoU outlines several potential areas of cooperation.
These include interline connectivity, which could allow passengers to travel across both airlines using more integrated booking and ticketing arrangements. The carriers are also considering codeshare cooperation, potentially enabling each airline to market selected flights operated by the other.
Another significant area is loyalty programme reciprocity, which could eventually provide eligible frequent travellers with additional opportunities to earn or use programme benefits when travelling across the partner network.
Together, these initiatives could create a more seamless passenger experience, particularly for travellers combining journeys between Japan, Saudi Arabia and destinations further across Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
The partnership comes as economic and commercial links between Saudi Arabia, Japan and the wider Middle East continue to develop. Better air connectivity can play an important role in supporting corporate travel, tourism exchanges, investment and trade by reducing friction for passengers moving between major markets.
Riyadh Air Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas said the agreement reflected the airline’s ambition to build meaningful global partnerships that expand passenger choice and generate long-term value.
ANA Chief Executive Officer Juichi Hirasawa highlighted the Middle East’s economic growth and described the partnership as an opportunity to strengthen connections between Japan, Saudi Arabia and the wider region while supporting new business and tourism exchanges.
The MoU represents an early but significant step in building closer aviation links between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Rather than focusing solely on a single route, the proposed partnership is structured around wider network connectivity and the possibility of integrating services as both airlines grow.
If the planned cooperation receives the necessary approvals and develops into operational agreements, passengers could eventually benefit from broader travel choices, improved connections and stronger access to destinations across both networks.
For Riyadh Air, the ANA agreement adds another potential international partnership as it builds its position around Riyadh’s ambitions as a major global aviation hub. For ANA, it creates a pathway towards deeper engagement with Saudi Arabia and a rapidly evolving Middle East aviation market, potentially making travel between the two regions—and far beyond—more connected than ever.
| Airlines | Date Announced | Markets Connected | Similar Cooperation Areas | Why It Is Similar to Riyadh Air–ANA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Air – ANA | August 2026 | Saudi Arabia, Japan and beyond | Interline, codeshare, loyalty reciprocity, network connectivity | The new agreement creates the framework for seamless Riyadh–Tokyo and beyond connectivity, subject to approvals. |
| Air India – Riyadh Air | June 2026 | India, Saudi Arabia and beyond | Interline, codeshare, reciprocal loyalty benefits, cargo, technology | One of the closest comparisons, with both airlines using their hubs to create seamless international connections. |
| Air India – Saudia | July 2026 | India and Saudi Arabia | Expanded codeshare, network connectivity, loyalty cooperation, commercial and operational collaboration | Similar phased MoU designed to deepen an existing partnership and expand connectivity between two major markets. |
| Air India – Lufthansa Group | February 2026 | India, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Europe | Future joint business, stronger connectivity, coordinated customer experience | A major MoU establishing a framework for deeper long-term cooperation across multiple airline networks. |
| Air India – Singapore Airlines | January 2026 | India, Singapore and global markets | Joint business framework, single-journey connectivity, schedule coordination, loyalty benefits | Very similar in its focus on improving connections through two major hubs and progressively expanding customer benefits. |
| Air New Zealand – Air India | March 2025 | India, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand | MoU, codeshare and expanded connecting flights | The agreement was specifically designed to improve connectivity between two distant aviation markets through major connecting hubs. |
| Riyadh Air – Singapore Airlines | June 2024 | Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand | Interline, codeshare, loyalty benefits, cargo, digital cooperation | Almost identical in structure: an MoU establishing a potential long-term partnership with codeshare, interline and frequent-flyer cooperation. |
| Riyadh Air – Turkish Airlines | December 2023 | Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Europe and beyond | Interline, codeshare, loyalty benefits, cargo and digital cooperation | Both airlines planned to combine the strengths of their Riyadh and Istanbul hubs to provide wider global connectivity. |
| Riyadh Air – Air France-KLM | June 2025 | Saudi Arabia, France, Netherlands and global markets | Network connectivity, codeshare, loyalty rewards, seamless travel, cargo and digital transformation | Like the ANA deal, this partnership connects Riyadh with major international hubs and destinations beyond them. |
| Riyadh Air – Saudia | November 2023 | Saudi domestic, Middle East and international markets | Interline, codeshare, points earning and redemption, elite benefits | A foundational Saudi aviation partnership aimed at combining networks and creating integrated passenger benefits. |
| Emirates – flydubai | Ongoing strategic partnership | Dubai and 245 destinations worldwide | Codeshare, network integration and joint loyalty benefits |
One of the closest comparisons to the ANA agreement is Riyadh Air’s MoU with Air India, signed in June 2026 to explore expanded connectivity between India, Saudi Arabia and international destinations beyond their respective networks. The proposed cooperation includes interline and codeshare opportunities, alongside possible reciprocal loyalty benefits, cargo services, operational support and digital and technology initiatives, making it one of the broadest partnership frameworks announced by the Saudi carrier.
The strategic logic is clear because Air India brings access to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing aviation markets, while Riyadh Air provides a potential gateway through Saudi Arabia to its expanding network and broader international ambitions. Improved connectivity could strengthen travel and tourism between India and Saudi Arabia, particularly across business, leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic, while the partnership could eventually give passengers smoother connections through Air India’s Delhi and Mumbai hubs and Riyadh Air’s operations in Riyadh.
Riyadh Air’s cooperation with Singapore Airlines provides another highly relevant example because it links the Saudi carrier with one of Asia’s most important global aviation hubs and creates opportunities to extend passenger access across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Riyadh Air says the partnership is intended to give guests access to more than 30 destinations across these markets, demonstrating how a partnership can rapidly expand effective network reach without requiring one airline to launch flights to every individual destination.
The Singapore model is particularly significant for tourism because Changi is a major connecting hub for long-haul traffic between Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, allowing an airline partnership to support multiple passenger flows rather than simply one bilateral market. For Riyadh Air, such cooperation helps establish Saudi Arabia as part of a broader east-west travel network, while Singapore Airlines can potentially gain stronger access to Riyadh and future Saudi connections as the Kingdom expands its role in international aviation.
The strategic cooperation between Riyadh Air and Turkish Airlines follows a similar hub-based philosophy, bringing together Riyadh’s ambitions as an emerging global aviation centre with Istanbul’s established position as a gateway between Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Riyadh Air states that the cooperation with Turkish Airlines will offer greater choice between Riyadh and Istanbul and connectivity to more than 150 cities across Türkiye and Europe, illustrating the commercial power of linking complementary networks.
For international travel and tourism, Istanbul offers enormous connecting potential because passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia can continue to a large number of European and regional destinations, while Turkish Airlines can gain improved access to Riyadh and onward Saudi markets. This type of partnership also shows why codeshare and interline relationships have become strategically important, as the value of an airline is increasingly measured not only by its own destinations but also by the wider network it can make accessible to passengers.
Riyadh Air and Air France-KLM signed an MoU in June 2025 to establish strategic cooperation and enhance connectivity between Riyadh, Paris, Amsterdam and destinations beyond, creating another major example of the partnership model now shaping the Saudi airline’s international strategy. The cooperation was designed around global connectivity and potential commercial opportunities, linking Riyadh with two of Europe’s most significant aviation hubs and their extensive networks across Europe, the Americas and other international markets.
The partnership matters for tourism because Paris and Amsterdam serve very different but complementary passenger markets, including business travellers, premium leisure passengers and long-haul connecting traffic, allowing Riyadh Air to potentially benefit from broad access across multiple regions. Riyadh Air’s partnership page says future cooperation with KLM could provide connectivity via Amsterdam to more than 150 destinations across Europe and the Americas, while the Air France relationship is intended to strengthen travel between Paris and Riyadh through shared connectivity and broader service ambitions.
Air India provides a useful example of how a carrier can build global connectivity through a large ecosystem of partnerships, as its official partnership information highlights interline arrangements that allow passengers to combine flights operated by different airlines on a single ticket and benefit from wider global access and easier connecting journeys. The airline lists partners across North and South America, Europe and other regions, including major carriers such as Air Canada, Delta, Lufthansa, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, United and Virgin Atlantic.
This approach shows how airline partnerships can support tourism without every carrier needing to duplicate another airline’s route network, because an interline or codeshare relationship can connect a passenger from one airline’s home market to destinations operated by a partner. For travellers, the practical benefits can include more booking options and potentially through-checked baggage or coordinated connections, while for airlines the commercial benefit lies in gaining access to new demand and distributing passengers through a wider international network.
Riyadh Air’s cooperation with Saudia is another important part of its partnership strategy because international connectivity depends heavily on strong domestic and regional feed, particularly when an airline is building a major hub network from Riyadh. According to Riyadh Air, the partnership with Saudia is intended to connect guests to more than 10 cities across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, while supporting easier transfers and benefits for frequent travellers.
This is strategically different from the ANA agreement but follows the same principle of combining complementary strengths, with Saudia bringing an established network and Riyadh Air seeking to build a new hub-based global operation. For tourism, stronger domestic and regional connections can help international visitors travel beyond Riyadh to other Saudi destinations, supporting the Kingdom’s wider ambition to increase visitor flows and make multi-destination journeys easier for overseas travellers.
Riyadh Air has also positioned China as a major partnership market through cooperation involving Air China and China Eastern, reflecting the growing importance of direct and connecting aviation links between Saudi Arabia and one of the world’s largest travel markets. Riyadh Air says its future Air China partnership will link Riyadh and Beijing and provide access to nearly 100 cities across China, while the China Eastern relationship is intended to connect Riyadh with Shanghai and offer access to its domestic and regional network.
These partnerships underline the importance of Asia in Riyadh Air’s strategy, particularly as travel, tourism and commercial exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Asian markets continue to grow, creating demand for both direct routes and onward connections. Rather than viewing every destination as a separate route opportunity, airlines can use a major partner’s domestic network to reach dozens of secondary cities, making partnerships especially valuable in geographically large countries with extensive internal aviation systems.
Riyadh Air’s planned partnership with Delta Air Lines demonstrates how a new international carrier can use strategic cooperation to reach markets where building a comprehensive independent network would require significant time and investment. Riyadh Air says future cooperation with Delta could offer guests access to more than 300 cities across North America, potentially making travel between Saudi Arabia and the United States easier and providing passengers with greater choice.
North American connectivity is particularly important because long-haul passengers frequently require onward connections after arriving at a gateway airport, meaning the success of an intercontinental route can depend heavily on access to a partner’s domestic network. For tourism, this could eventually help connect US travellers with Saudi Arabia and allow Saudi passengers to reach a wider range of American cities, strengthening the role of airline partnerships in supporting two-way visitor traffic.
Riyadh Air’s cooperation with EgyptAir focuses on improved travel options between Riyadh and Cairo, alongside enhanced connectivity to destinations across Egypt, Africa and the Mediterranean, adding another regional dimension to the Saudi airline’s global partnership strategy. Such an arrangement can support tourism across multiple markets because Cairo provides access to a major regional network, while Riyadh can increasingly act as a connecting point for passengers travelling between Africa, Asia and other international regions.
The Virgin Atlantic partnership, meanwhile, is designed to strengthen connectivity between Riyadh and London and provide access to more than 20 destinations across North America and the Caribbean through Heathrow, highlighting the value of partnerships for premium and long-haul travel. Heathrow remains one of the world’s most important international transfer points, so cooperation with an established carrier can give Riyadh Air access to additional onward markets while offering Virgin Atlantic customers future connectivity into Saudi Arabia.
The growing number of agreements shows that airline competition is no longer simply about who operates the most aircraft or serves the highest number of destinations independently, because network partnerships can dramatically increase a carrier’s effective reach and strengthen its relevance to international passengers. Airlines are therefore increasingly competing through ecosystems of hubs, codeshares, interline relationships, loyalty programmes and commercial alliances, with the strongest networks often combining their own operations with carefully selected partners across strategic regions.
For Riyadh Air, the ANA MoU fits directly into this broader strategy, joining partnerships spanning Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, China, Türkiye, Egypt, Europe, North America and other markets listed by the airline as part of its growing cooperation portfolio. The approach could help Riyadh Air establish international scale more quickly, while partners gain access to Saudi Arabia’s expanding aviation and tourism market and to future opportunities created by the airline’s network development.
“Riyadh Air’s partnership strategy represents one of the most compelling developments in modern aviation because it demonstrates how a new airline can build global relevance by connecting with established carriers across the world’s most important travel markets. The ANA agreement is especially promising for tourism, as it creates a potential bridge between Japan and Saudi Arabia while opening possibilities across Asia and beyond. These partnerships can give travellers greater choice, more seamless journeys and stronger international connectivity, while encouraging tourism, trade and cultural exchange. As Riyadh Air expands its network, its ability to combine strategic alliances with premium service could reshape how global aviation connectivity is developed.”
The Riyadh Air–ANA agreement should therefore be viewed as part of a much larger transformation in international aviation, where airlines increasingly use partnerships to create global networks that would be difficult, expensive and slow to build independently. Whether through Air India in South Asia, Singapore Airlines in Asia-Pacific, Turkish Airlines in Europe and Eurasia, Air France-KLM in Europe, Delta in North America or other partners across China, Africa and the Middle East, the objective remains broadly consistent: create more choices and easier connections for passengers.
For travellers, the long-term impact could be significant because better network integration can mean more one-stop itineraries, broader destination choices and increasingly connected loyalty ecosystems, although the exact benefits of each MoU will depend on regulatory approvals and the final commercial agreements implemented by the airlines. For the global tourism industry, these partnerships can open markets, strengthen hub competition and encourage visitors to travel beyond traditional gateway cities, making airline cooperation an increasingly powerful force behind the future expansion of international travel and tourism.
Airlines face rising demand for easier international travel and broader network access without operating direct flights to every destination. Answer: Partnerships, interline agreements, codeshares and loyalty cooperation allow carriers to connect their networks and offer more seamless journeys. Reason: The Middle East sits strategically between Europe, Asia and Africa, making its hubs increasingly valuable for global connections. Riyadh Air’s ANA partnership reflects this opportunity, while cooperation with Air India, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France-KLM and others expands the model. Consequently, travellers can benefit from better connections, more destinations and potentially simpler journeys, supporting tourism, trade and international business.
All Nippon Airways and more airlines are helping transform Middle East travel through partnerships designed to make journeys better, easier and more connected. Riyadh Air’s agreement with ANA strengthens the potential aviation bridge between Saudi Arabia, Japan and destinations beyond. Meanwhile, partnerships across India, Europe, Asia and North America demonstrate a wider industry shift towards network integration. Interline services, codeshares and loyalty cooperation could give travellers more choice and smoother connections. Ultimately, the Middle East’s strategic location is turning airline partnerships into a powerful engine for global travel and tourism, with Riyadh emerging as an increasingly important international connectivity hub.
The MoU is a framework for Riyadh Air and All Nippon Airways to explore closer cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan, including potential interline connectivity, codeshare arrangements, loyalty programme reciprocity and improved access to destinations across both networks. Any specific operational arrangements remain subject to regulatory approvals and further agreements between the two carriers.
Riyadh Air’s June 2026 MoU with Air India is one of the closest comparisons because it also explores interline and codeshare cooperation, reciprocal loyalty benefits and broader commercial initiatives to improve connectivity between two major markets and destinations beyond. Riyadh Air’s partnerships with Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines also closely follow the hub-to-hub connectivity model.
Airline partnerships can give passengers access to more destinations through connecting networks, potentially allowing journeys to be booked more conveniently across multiple carriers and improving transfer options between partner hubs. Depending on the final agreement, benefits may also include coordinated schedules, through-ticketing, baggage arrangements, codeshare flights and reciprocal frequent-flyer opportunities.
Better air connectivity can make destinations easier to reach, particularly where direct flights are unavailable, supporting visitor growth, business exchanges and wider international mobility. By linking hubs and extending access to domestic and regional networks, airline partnerships can also encourage travellers to visit secondary cities and multiple destinations within the same journey.
Riyadh Air currently lists partnerships or planned cooperation with airlines including Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Air China, China Eastern, Delta Air Lines, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, Air India and Air Europa. The ANA MoU further expands this partnership-led strategy, subject to the development and approval of the cooperation arrangements announced by the airlines.
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