Strengthening retailing capabilities through an enhanced distribution agreement
LONDON, United Kingdom: 20 October, 2025. Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, announced the renewal of its long-term content distribution agreement with Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of thousands of suppliers worldwide. The renewed partnership will now include Saudia’s NDC (New Distribution Capability) content on Travelport+, expanding access for travel agents across Travelport’s extensive global network.
NDC is a data transmission standard developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that modernizes airline communication and enhances the distribution of airline content. It allows airlines to distribute their products in real time, enabling dynamic and personalized offers across all sales channels, addressing limitations in product differentiation and access to rich air content.
Through this agreement, Travelport-connected agencies will gain access to Saudia’s full portfolio of NDC fares, routes, and services within a unified, streamlined interface. The integration ensures agents can access Saudia’s most competitive offers and enhanced services, while benefiting from Travelport+’s fast, modern retailing capabilities.
Mr. Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia, said: "Expanding our partnership with Travelport through the addition of NDC content is an important milestone for Saudia. It reflects our commitment to delivering greater choice and efficiency to our trade partners while supporting our growth strategy. This collaboration also reinforces Saudia’s role in advancing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals by expanding our global reach, enhancing connectivity, and elevating the travel experience for our guests."
Expanding our partnership with Travelport through the addition of NDC content is an important milestone for Saudia. It reflects our commitment to delivering greater choice and efficiency to our trade partners while supporting our growth strategy.
Mr. Arved von zur Muehlen | Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia
Damian Hickey, Travelport's GVP & Global Head of Travel Partners said: "As a valued partner and one of the fastest-growing airlines in both the EMEA region and globally, Saudia's continued collaboration with Travelport demonstrates the trust leading airlines place in our innovative technology and modern retailing platform. By making Saudia's NDC content available through Travelport+, we are giving agents access to Saudia's most competitive offers and enhanced services, all within a platform designed for speed and simplicity."
The agreement further strengthens Saudia's global distribution capabilities, ensuring its growing fleet and expanding network of destinations are accessible to travel professionals worldwide. This collaboration enables Saudia to continue delivering innovative solutions and seamless experiences for its partners and guests alike.
About Saudia:
Saudia (Saudia Airlines) is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 1945, the company has grown to become one of the Middle East’s largest airlines.
Saudia has invested significantly in upgrading its aircraft and currently operates one of the youngest fleets with 149 aircraft. The airline serves an extensive global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 26 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia.
A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Saudia has also been a member airline in SkyTeam, the second largest alliance, since 2012.
Saudia was recently named “Best Airline Staff Service” for 2025 by Skytrax and ranked 17th in the global airline rankings. It was also recognized as a “World Class Airline 2024” for the third consecutive year and awarded “Best in Class for Service & Guest Experience 2025” by APEX. In addition, Saudia ranked first globally for on-time performance (OTP), according to Cirium.
For more information on Saudia, please visit www.saudia.com