Riyadh Air partners with Ink Innovation to launch the next generation modular air travel system, enabling real-time, personalized and flexible travel.
Riyadh Air, a digitally native domestic airline in Saudi Arabia, will work with travel technology provider Innovation to provide the next generation of air travel experiences.
At the heart of this collaboration is a common ambition. It is to set new standards for how air travel can be done in a world shaped by e-commerce, cloud computing and traveler expectations.
“We're looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air. “Ink is an important partner at Riyadh Air and continues to drive innovation at every stage of your journey. As a like-minded technician, it is the ideal collaborator to aim to provide guests with a great digital experience at the touchpoint of your first trip.”
Moves beyond legacy systems
Airlines have long struggled with outdated infrastructure. This is a system built to move passengers from point A to B, but it cannot be delighted, empowered or adapted. This partnership is intended to change that.
Riyadh Air and Ink Innovation implements a full delivery management system tailored to the IATA Modern Airline Retailing (MAR) model. This platform allows you to manage and interact with your orders in real time without the use of outdated PNL or PNR-dependent systems. This will allow travelers to take charge of the journey.
Passengers can make changes on the go, add services midway through service, or connect to third-party content in one streamlined experience. Instead of a static, pre-booked trip, the trip is modular, personal and responsive.
It is proven in the field
This system has already proven ready for actual operation. Riyadh Air has achieved air operator certificates using Ink's platform, proving flight across different continents. All flight handling, check-in and load control functions are now complete using Ink's digital tools.
“We are pleased to announce that we are committed to providing a range of services to our customers,” said Peter Bellew, Chief Operating Officer of Riyadh Air. “What we're trying to do with Ink is providing great service to our customers. For me, our customers are the guests traveling by plane and the teams working at the check-in desk and departure gate at the airport.
By leveraging mobile-based operations and cloud-native architecture, Riyadh Airlines teams can respond instantly to passenger and operational needs, whether they manage last-minute seat changes or destroyed flights, without the drama typical of legacy systems.
From airlines to travel ecosystems
The wider ambitions go far beyond the airport's terminal experience and check-in upgrades. Ink and Riyadh Air have built a system that connects travelers to hotels, airport travel, local experiences and multimodal transport like railroads. It is designed to support upselling, cross-selling and personalized service delivery, all alongside the modern expectations of today's travelers.
While many airlines continue to plan digital upgrades and launch systems after 2027, Riyadh Air and Ink will fully deploy this system in 2025. This initiative provides the promise of modern airline retail.
“We're looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Shawn Richards, CEO and co-founder of Ink Innovation. “We are developing a platform that perfectly matches the modern airline retail model, and our travel vision is to empower far more passengers than we do today.
Vicky is the co-founder and head of the TravelDailynews Media Network. She is also responsible for day-to-day operations and monetary policy. She holds a bachelor's degree in tourism management from Athens University of Technology and a master's degree (MBA) in business management from the University of Wales.
She has many years of academic and industrial experience in the travel industry. She has written numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
