In an interview on CNN’s First Move with Julia Chatterley, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian discussed their new strategic agreement to expand connectivity and premium travel options across North America, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.

Under the agreement, Delta will serve as Riyadh Air’s exclusive partner in North America and for Delta’s customers, the partnership will open new destinations in Saudi Arabia. Douglas told Chatterley of the deal, “Obviously, connectivity into North America for Saudi travellers. But importantly, connecting the world into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The tourism agenda there, the investment is nothing short of exceptional. And of course, there is an overarching economic diversification strategy, and a big enabler to that is better connectivity.”

Currently, no US airline files to Saudi Arabia, but Bastian says the partnership will change this, “We’ll be launching direct flights from the US to Riyadh sometime in the next 12 to 18 months.”

Bastian discussed why the Saudi market is so attractive to Delta, ““The thing that’s unique about this is that the entire Kingdom actually has a real population base of 35 million Saudis. It is an economic powerhouse. It is in the top 20 economies in the world, and it’s the fastest growing economy in the world, with the GDP that’s a multiple of what either the GDP of Dubai or Doha is, for Riyadh itself.”

The two CEOs also discussed the ongoing problems impacting Boeing planes, Riyadh Air’s plan to become the first “digital native” airline, and Riyadh Air’s cabin crew uniforms which were unveiled at Paris Couture Week.

Full transcript available here

Bastian on the partnership:

“We’ve been looking for just the right partner for many, many years. What Riyadh Air is creating, even though they’re not in flight yet, but they will be soon, is the premier service model between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the world.”


Bastian on how the deal will bring more tourists to Saudi Arabia:
“What we’ll be doing on our end is an opportunity to bring US travellers, US business travellers, US leisure travel, which continues to grow, and the demand is very, very strong for experiences around the world to the Kingdom.”

Douglas on the deal:

“Obviously, connectivity into North America for Saudi travellers. But importantly, connecting the world into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The tourism agenda there, the investment is nothing short of exceptional. And of course, there is an overarching economic diversification strategy, and a big enabler to that is better connectivity.”

Bastian on Saudi Arabia’s economy:

“The thing that’s unique about this is that the entire Kingdom actually has a real population base, of 35 million Saudis. It is an economic powerhouse. It is in the top 20 economies in the world, and it’s the fastest growing economy in the world. With the GDP, that’s a multiple of what either the GDP of Dubai or Doha is for Riyadh itself.”

Bastian on direct flights to Saudi Arabia:

“We’ll be launching direct flights from the US to Riyadh sometime in the next 12 to 18 months.”

Douglas on when Riyadh Air will begin flights:

“We’ve taken into account some of the delivery delays that they’ve got, but we’re confident we’ll start flying in summer of 2025. And as you said before, the thing that’s so romantic about that as well is it’s the time when Delta become 100 years old.”

Bastian on Delta using Boeing planes in future:

“The MAX 10, which is that next model, which isn’t out yet, is the plane that Delta hopes to take at some point in the future. But we will not take that plane until we have absolute confidence and certainty that we understand everything there is to know about the safety and the features of that plane.”

Douglas on Riyadh Air’s AI plans:
“Probably more in common with the experience you’d see with Amazon or with Airbnb or with Spotify. In other words, how modern online order offer that’s profiled to enhance your experience with AI. It’s around us in everyday use at the moment, not as available within commercial aviation. And of course, for us, put quite simply, we could have either have been the last airline to establish ourselves in the conventional way or the first airline to become a true digital native.”

Douglas on Riyadh Air’s uniforms:

“People want to look at them because it’s beauty, it’s beautiful, it’s glamour, it’s refinement, but we wanted to have it with a real modernistic twist, which speaks to what the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is all about. It’s a young population, a young population that loves fashion and loves technology. And we’ve actually copyrighted the color, electric amethysts. We feel that it looks absolutely outstanding.”