Riyadh Air is looking beyond its current network as it builds plans for a much larger global operation. The Saudi Arabian startup has signed a memorandum of understanding with All Nippon Airways (ANA), opening the door to closer cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The agreement could eventually bring codeshare flights, interline connectivity and reciprocal loyalty benefits. It also gives both airlines a framework to develop their networks around Riyadh and Tokyo.
There is no new Japan route to announce just yet. Neither airline currently operates nonstop flights between Saudi Arabia and Japan. But the agreement puts one of Asia’s most important aviation markets firmly on Riyadh Air’s expansion map.
That could become increasingly important as the young airline adds aircraft, opens new destinations and works toward its goal of turning Riyadh into a major international connecting hub.
Riyadh Air and ANA See Opportunity Between Tokyo and Riyadh
The partnership is built around the two airlines’ respective hubs.
Riyadh Air is developing King Khalid International Airport as the center of its network, while ANA operates from both Tokyo Haneda and Narita. By linking the two networks, the airlines could offer passengers more convenient ways to travel between Japan and Saudi Arabia without either carrier having to immediately build an extensive standalone operation in the other country.
For travelers, that could eventually mean easier connections in both directions.
A passenger traveling from Japan could fly with ANA to Tokyo before continuing on a Riyadh Air service to Saudi Arabia or another destination on its network. Passengers starting in Riyadh could use Riyadh Air to reach Tokyo and then connect onto ANA’s extensive domestic network.
The two airlines said the MoU is intended to improve access to domestic and international markets as their networks continue to grow.
That is particularly relevant for Riyadh Air, which is still in the early stages of building its operation.
Japan Could Become Riyadh Air’s Next Big Market
Japan is an obvious target for an airline seeking to build a genuinely global network.
The country has a large domestic market, strong business links across Asia and significant demand for international travel. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is investing heavily in tourism, infrastructure and new business sectors as it seeks to diversify its economy.
Those developments create opportunities for more air connectivity between the two countries.
At present, Saudia is the only airline connecting Riyadh and Tokyo directly. The Saudi flag carrier operates between King Khalid International Airport and Tokyo Narita.
Riyadh Air’s decision to explore cooperation with ANA therefore comes at an interesting point in the market. Rather than immediately launching its own Japanese service, the startup can first establish a commercial relationship with a major Japanese airline.
That gives Riyadh Air a way to test demand and develop traffic flows before potentially adding Japan to its own flying schedule.
Riyadh Air Is Expanding Faster Than Its Age Suggests
The agreement with ANA comes as Riyadh Air continues to expand at a rapid pace.
The carrier began scheduled commercial operations earlier this summer and has been adding destinations from Riyadh. Its network already includes major cities such as London, Dubai, Cairo, Madrid and Mumbai.
The airline has also been adding routes across South Asia. Recent launches include daily Boeing 787-9 services to Dhaka, Islamabad, Lahore and Mumbai.
More destinations are due to follow, including Bangkok, Manila and Manchester.
Riyadh Air has previously outlined plans to reach 22 destinations by March 2027. Its longer-term ambition is far more aggressive: more than 100 international cities by 2030.
That target explains why partnerships are becoming important so early in the airline’s development.
Building a global network entirely with its own aircraft would take years and require enormous amounts of capital. Strategic partnerships can extend an airline’s commercial reach much faster.
Codesharing Could Be the First Major Step
The next development to watch will be whether ANA and Riyadh Air turn the MoU into a formal commercial agreement.
The airlines are considering interline arrangements, codesharing and loyalty program reciprocity.
Each of those could have a practical impact on passengers.
An interline agreement can make journeys involving both airlines easier to book and manage. A codeshare could allow one airline to sell seats on selected flights operated by the other under its own flight number.
Loyalty cooperation would add another layer, potentially allowing frequent flyers to earn or redeem rewards across both networks.
For Riyadh Air, the attraction is obvious. ANA gives it access to a well-established Japanese network that reaches far beyond Tokyo.
For ANA, Riyadh Air offers a potential new partner in Saudi Arabia at a time when Riyadh is positioning itself as a major international aviation hub.
The Fleet Behind Riyadh Air’s Ambitions
Riyadh Air’s expanding fleet plans also give some indication of where the airline could go next.
At the recent Farnborough Airshow, the carrier firmed an order for six additional Airbus A350-1000s and exercised options for 28 Boeing 787 aircraft.
The Boeing 787-9 is already central to Riyadh Air’s international expansion. Its combination of range and operating efficiency makes it suitable for the kind of long-haul network the airline is attempting to build.
The additional widebody aircraft will give Riyadh Air more flexibility to add destinations and increase frequencies as demand develops.
Japan could eventually fit naturally into that strategy.
A nonstop Riyadh-Tokyo operation would be a significant step for the airline, but it would also require the right level of demand and sufficient aircraft capacity. The ANA relationship could help Riyadh Air build that market gradually before making such a commitment.
China and the U.S. Are Also in Riyadh Air’s Sights
Japan is only one part of Riyadh Air’s wider international strategy.
The carrier has recently secured regulatory approval to launch services to Beijing and Shanghai. It has also obtained authority to begin operations to the United States.
Those developments show that Riyadh Air is pursuing a network that stretches well beyond the Middle East.
The airline’s strategy is built around Riyadh becoming a connecting point between markets that have traditionally been linked through other major hubs.
That could eventually put Riyadh in greater competition with established Middle Eastern aviation centers.
The challenge will be turning the ambitious route map into a sustainable operation. Riyadh Air needs enough aircraft, passengers and connecting traffic to support its rapid expansion.
Partnerships can help on all three fronts.
What ANA Gets From the Deal
The agreement is not simply a win for Riyadh Air.
ANA also stands to gain from closer access to Saudi Arabia.
The Japanese carrier has an extensive network across Asia and beyond, but Saudi Arabia offers an additional gateway into a rapidly developing market. Riyadh Air could eventually provide ANA passengers with connections not only into Saudi Arabia but also into destinations across the Middle East and other regions served from Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s growing tourism industry could make that opportunity even more attractive.
As the country seeks to bring more international visitors and develop new business relationships, demand for direct and connecting air services is likely to remain an important part of that growth.
For ANA, partnering with a new Saudi carrier could therefore provide access to that growth without requiring an immediate investment in its own Saudi Arabian operation.
A Japan Route Could Be the Bigger Story
For now, it would be premature to say that ANA and Riyadh Air are about to launch a Tokyo-Riyadh service.
The MoU does not announce a new route, and the airlines still need to work through the details of any future commercial cooperation and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.
But the direction is clear.
Riyadh Air wants to become a global airline, and Japan is a market it cannot easily ignore. ANA, meanwhile, has an opportunity to work with one of the most ambitious new carriers in the Middle East.
The immediate result could be better connections between the two networks through interline and codeshare arrangements.
The longer-term possibility is more interesting.
If passenger demand develops and Riyadh Air continues adding widebody aircraft, a nonstop Japan-Saudi Arabia service could eventually make sense.
For an airline that only recently entered commercial service, that would represent another major step forward.
Riyadh Air’s agreement with ANA is therefore about more than two airlines signing a memorandum. It is an early look at how the Saudi startup plans to build its global network — through aircraft, new routes and partnerships with established carriers.
And with Riyadh Air targeting more than 100 international destinations by 2030, Japan may be one of the markets that helps determine how far those ambitions can go.
For more on Riyadh Air, see: Riyadh Air Expands A350-1000 Fleet with Six More Jets
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