Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, Riyadh Air and Air France-KLM signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a significant step forward in global connectivity for guests traveling between Riyadh, Paris, Amsterdam, and destinations far beyond. The MoU, signed at the 2025 IATA Annual General Meeting by Tony Douglas CEO Riyadh Air and Benjamin Smith CEO of Air France-KLM Group, sets the foundation for a dynamic partnership. Subject to regulatory approvals, the collaboration aims to gradually introduce a wide range of benefits for guests and to unlock new opportunities across Western Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, has signed a global distribution agreement with Riyadh Air, the newly established Saudi Arabian national carrier. This strategic partnership positions Sabre as the first global distribution partner to collaborate with Riyadh Air, building on an already strong IT partnership and further solidifying Sabre’s role as a key enabler of the airline’s retailing and distribution strategy.

Riyadh Air and Verteil Technologies have announced a strategic partnership that will see Verteil become the launch NDC (New Distribution Capability) aggregator, marking a major milestone in Riyadh Air’s offer and order-based digital distribution journey. Through this collaboration, travel sellers across the globe will gain seamless access to Riyadh Air’s NDC content via Verteil’s industry-leading platform, Verteil Direct Connect (VDC), reinforcing a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in airline retailing.

Breaking Travel News’s aviation correspondent Phi Blizzard provides looks at some of the airlines participating at the Arabian Travel Market 2025 and what they will be showcasing, along with their location of their stand at the show.

Breaking Travel News’s aviation correspondent Phil Blizzard, ahead of ATM 2025, looks at the the major airlines attending the Middle East’s premier travel event - what they are expected to showcase, their innovations & technology and the introduction o0f new routes.

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newly established national airline, has entered into a significant partnership with Saudi Ground Services Company (SGS) to facilitate comprehensive ground handling services across airports in the Kingdom. This landmark agreement, valued at approximately SAR 500 million, will take effect in March 2025 for an initial period of 36 months, with the potential for a two-year extension based on mutual agreement.