Riyadh Air concluded a successful first participation at the 15th International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation event (ICAN) hosted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in Riyadh bringing the aviation sector together to shape the future of air transport.

On the opening day, Riyadh Air announced a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding with Turkish Airlines to offer a comprehensive range of benefits for guests traveling between the Kingdom, Türkiye and points beyond their respective Riyadh and Istanbul hubs.

The close cooperation will explore how members of each carrier’s loyalty program can earn points or credits when traveling on codeshare services operated by the other, with both airlines also exploring opportunities to develop a broader loyalty agreement covering both global networks. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of guest benefits, the MoU also commits Riyadh Air and Turkish Airlines to work together to explore and implement broader synergies and efficiencies across the value chain, touching areas such as aviation related services, cargo and digital development.

Formally opened by His Excellency Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, ICAN is the world’s largest platform for policy makers, regulators, air operators, service providers and other stakeholders across the aviation industry to come together to conduct bilateral and regional consultations and negotiations.

Alongside Saudi aviation partners including Saudia, with whom Riyadh Air signed an expansive agreement last month, signifying collaborative strength in the Saudi Arabian Aviation Ecosystem, a team from Riyadh Air joined over 700 global aviation leaders representing 100 countries and organizations to discuss industry trends and foster greater collaboration across the aviation sector.

As part of its role as an ICAN strategic partner Riyadh Air’s 30sqm pavilion provided visitors with a unique digital experience giving a glimpse of what travelling with Riyadh Air will be like when the digitally native airline takes to the skies in 2025.

The establishment of Riyadh Air in March 2023 is in line with PIF’s mandate to unlock the capabilities of key sectors locally to drive the diversification of Saudi Arabia’s economy. The airline will also support the Saudi Aviation Strategy's broader vision, and enable the National Tourism Strategy, unlocking Saudi Arabia's cultural and natural attractions to international tourists and creating over 200,000 jobs directly and indirectly.