Riyadh Air lands in Spain with direct Air Europa alliance
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Riyadh Air has officially landed in Spain. The new Saudi national carrier touched down at Madrid-Barajas on Friday with its inaugural flight from Riyadh, according to Hosteltur. And it came with a double play: a direct regular route (the only one between the two countries) and a strategic alliance with Air Europa.
The deal links Saudi Arabia with Spain and Latin America through both networks. Make no mistake: this is more than a simple codeshareCode-shareA code-share is the deal where two airlines sell the same flight under their own codes, though only one operates it. It lets one carrier offer destinations it does not fly and the other fill more of the plane. It is t.... Riyadh Air is positioning itself as a hub between the Middle East and Latin America, bypassing the traditional Gulf axis. Iberia won't love this, but for Air Europa it's a massive boost.
My take: Saudi Arabia is going all in on tourism and connectivity, and using Spain as a gateway to Latin America is a smart move. Travel agencies and OTAsOTAAn online travel agency is a channel that sells accommodation and travel online in exchange for a commission. Booking.com and Expedia are the biggest. They bring volume and visibility, but charge commissions that eat... working those corridors should start checking fares and terms on this new route.
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