Look, I hate to be like “oh, he’s a hypocrite,” because on some level, we’re all hypocrites. I don’t think anyone is 100% consistent in their logic, and that’s part of being human. But my goodness, this is some next level mental gymnastics, if you ask me, as flagged by View from the Wing…
In this post:
Delta CEO Ed Bastian struggles to defend Riyadh flights
In 2026, Delta Air Lines plans to launch flights between Atlanta (ATL) and Riyadh (RUH). This is part of a new partnership with Riyadh Air, the ambitious Saudi Arabian airline startup that’s owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). It’s also worth noting that Delta is receiving significant subsidies from the Saudi Arabian government for launching this route, as all international airlines adding flights to Riyadh are receiving.
Going back a decade, there was a massive battle between the “big three” US carriers (American, Delta, and United) and the “big three” Gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar). The argument was that those airlines were illegally subsidized by their governments, and needed to be stopped, since government subsidized airlines aren’t on a “level playing field.” You can see one of the US propaganda videos from that time below (featuring extensive commentary from Delta CEO Ed Bastian).
Okay, admittedly US carriers have in the meantime evolved, with American having a partnership with Qatar and Etihad, and United having a partnership with Emirates. Great, now Delta is partnering with Riyadh Air. I wouldn’t take issue with this, except for how Delta CEO Ed Bastian is framing this.
In an interview with CNN’s Richard Quest, Bastian was asked about the airline adding flights to Saudi Arabia. The narrative he tells is just wild. He not only reverses course on his feeling about government subsidized Gulf carriers (fair enough), but he manages to justify Delta’s partnership with Riyadh Air while still putting down other government subsidized Gulf carriers. Let’s take a look at his comments.
Bastian claimed that the primary purpose of these flights is to bring US consumers, businesses, and leisure travelers, to Riyadh. Okay, fair enough. Bastian describes being able to fly to Riyadh as an “amazing, amazing opportunity.” Yes, it is an amazing opportunity to fly when someone else is footing the bill, I agree! He then goes on and says the following:
“You know, we’ve been vocal over time about the subsidies and the lack of a level playing field here among the Middle Eastern carriers, the Emirates, the guys in Doha, as well as in Abu Dhabi. And we were never even contemplating partnerships with those three airlines, because they don’t have a local market.”
“They basically exist to take traffic between two other home markets, neither of which are theirs, and we didn’t want to have someone else live off our hard earned territory and the work that we’ve done.”
Bastian goes on to explain that Riyadh is a much bigger local market than Dubai, and has four times the GDP, and he sees a lot of long term aspirations. Quest pushes back, saying how it might initially appear hypocritical for Delta to get “in bed” with a Gulf carrier after the criticism over them being government owned and subsidized. Bastian then partly defends the company’s position by claiming that… he thinks that Riyadh Air could eventually be very profitable, and therefore it’s okay to be government owned and subsidized? As he explains:
“I know the team at Riyadh Air is destined to prove their own weight. Obviously with PIF starting them, they’re going to require considerable amount of startup investment. I think that model can be very successful and very profitable for PIF.”
This is such a disingenuous narrative on Gulf carriers
Let me very clear here — I don’t take issue with Delta flying to Riyadh, or partnering with Riyadh Air. There are also a lot of super smart folks running Riyadh Air, so this isn’t a knock on what they’re doing.
What I take issue with is Bastian getting on his high horse and claiming that Delta wouldn’t even dare consider partnering with an airline like Emirates, because they’re syphoning demand from other markets.
Bastian is right that Saudi Arabia is a larger country than the UAE, and has a larger economy. That being said, he struggles to keep his narrative straight:
- He argues that the Delta flight is primarily intended for Americans looking to visit Saudi Arabia, while dismissing what the other Gulf carriers do; yet more Americans visited the UAE last year than visited Saudi Arabia
- He has issues with subsidies, but he convinces himself that the airline will be “very profitable” for the PIF in the long run… just as Emirates is for the government of Dubai (remember, Emirates is the world’s most profitable airline, beating out Delta!)
If Bastian just said “our position has evolved and times have changed,” I’d say that would be totally fair. But instead, his narrative is basically “we’re the ones doing the ethical thing, and we wouldn’t even dare consider partnering with one of those other evil Gulf carriers.”
Bottom line
Delta is launching flights to Riyadh, which is fair enough, despite Delta’s management for years warning about the risks of government subsidized Gulf carriers. I’m all for airline executives evolving their perspectives, but what’s wild is the extent to which Bastian is basically doubling down on Delta’s previous position, attacking other Gulf carriers, while justifying the Riyadh Air partnership.
What do you make of Bastian’s comments on flying to Riyadh?
At least Saudi Arabia doesn't murder journalists at the rate of Israel.
I think your article is stupid and no one cares about your opinion.....especially the CEO of one of the best run airlines.
Agree with the other comment. The major Middle East airlines are taken although he could have been more prepared for an appropriate answer.
Bastian's and you criticism of Emirates Air is valid. A study of Etihad and Qatar requires more nuance. Fleet allocation is the perfect way to grasp this issue. By design Emirates Air flies widebodies only. Sir Tim Cook knows how to make this profitable, as his airline's balance sheet evinces. However, attempting to use his carrier for regional destinations (mostly within the GCC) could be a challenge. Etihad and Qatar have a diversified fleet. I...
Bastian's and you criticism of Emirates Air is valid. A study of Etihad and Qatar requires more nuance. Fleet allocation is the perfect way to grasp this issue. By design Emirates Air flies widebodies only. Sir Tim Cook knows how to make this profitable, as his airline's balance sheet evinces. However, attempting to use his carrier for regional destinations (mostly within the GCC) could be a challenge. Etihad and Qatar have a diversified fleet. I just flew Etihad BOS-AUH-RUH-AUH-JFK. The desert routes were on an A321NEO. My departing gate RUH-AUH was shared with Qatar. The Qatar DOH-RUH-DOH route, which used the gate before my flight, was aboard an A320. These fleet diversifications are an important nuance. The larger factor, by far, however, connected to the subsidies received by Delta. relates to His Majesty's Saudi Vision 2030. I didn't realize until spending over a fortnight in the Kingdom in October 2025 that Riyadh is not an air hub. The state flag carrier, Saudia, uses Jeddah is its hub, although it has a significant presence in Riyadh. Much of the PIF funding targets Riyadh and the vicinity. This is crucial to the launch of Riyadh Air, a second state carrier. As Riyadh Air already has established a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, in which Delta holds a sizeable minority partnership, the reciprocity of a tie-up with Delta makes a world of sense. Delta will gain vast access to the youngest fleet in the region as Riyadh Air sprouts its wings, pun intended, and Riyadh Air will gain much needed one-stop access to Delta's enormous network in the U.S.
From that perspective, Bastian's comments make sense.
2 things about hypocrisy
1 I always try to be upfront about mine
2. Hypocrisy is a long christian/islamic tradition
Extra. I’ve never been a fan of Delta nor any airline CEO
“leisure travelers, to Riyadh”
lol
You're not wrong. However, having just spent 3 weeks there interacting with government, I can tell you that the crown is spending billions to drive leisure travel. I would not accuse Bastian of echoing official messages in exchange for major subsidies. However, the similarity in his words is perceptible.
This does a good job of getting at why I find the collaboration of western companies, governments, and international orgs (FIFA, IOC, FIA, etc) with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States so unseemly: it is so clearly about getting in on the firehose of money they are spraying into every element of the economy and culture. But they always try to wrap it in nonsense about "strategic opportunities" or "partnerships".
I'd prefer that they just...
This does a good job of getting at why I find the collaboration of western companies, governments, and international orgs (FIFA, IOC, FIA, etc) with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States so unseemly: it is so clearly about getting in on the firehose of money they are spraying into every element of the economy and culture. But they always try to wrap it in nonsense about "strategic opportunities" or "partnerships".
I'd prefer that they just say "yeah they're richer than God and we want in on it". At least that would be an honest answer.
Typical Delta strategy - burn your relationships with all your supplier by being a jerk, then scramble to take the last available option nobody else wanted because nobody wants to work with you. See: Korean, Skyteam, etc.
What on earth are you babbling about?
United and American were right there alongside Delta lobbying the government against the Middle Eastern carriers. Also, Delta's relationship with 3 of the 4 original Skyteam members predated the formation of Oneworld, so it's not like there weren't other options at the time.
I would differ with you slightly. I would argue that Bastian made the most symbolic decision in this direction when killing the ATL-DXB nonstop.
From what I understand, Delta put a lot of effort into beating Korean Air into a mostly safe airline (KE needed the corporal punishment).
So SkyMiles are probably going to be the only transferable currency with which to book Riyadh Air flights. Dang.
Its partnership with Virgin Atlantic is official. Once its LHR-RUH service is approved with a regular schedule, it is expected to be a true code-sharing reoute with reciprocal mileage redemption.
https://www.riyadhair.com/en/media-hub/virgin-atlantic-and-riyadh-air-sign-agreement-to-expand-connecti
Riyadh Air also needs to reheat its iron to determine how its in-house loyalty program will operate. It nearly has those wrinkles resolved.
The US and Saudi Arabia have agreed to Trillions of dollars worth of business over the next couple of years. It’s dumb luck and fortune for Delta that they were chosen.
about as much dumb luck as DL finding Amex out of all the credit card partners.
I don't think Ed has ever been to either Riyadh or Dubai/AD judging from his comments. Saying that Riyadh is a more attractive place for American leisure travelers is utterly laughable. It's certainly gotten better in the last 5 years, but it's like comparing Vegas to Joshua Tree if Joshua Tree only had malls filled with Gucci and Prada, no alcohol, practically no leisure activities, and no natural beauty. They are working hard to improve...
I don't think Ed has ever been to either Riyadh or Dubai/AD judging from his comments. Saying that Riyadh is a more attractive place for American leisure travelers is utterly laughable. It's certainly gotten better in the last 5 years, but it's like comparing Vegas to Joshua Tree if Joshua Tree only had malls filled with Gucci and Prada, no alcohol, practically no leisure activities, and no natural beauty. They are working hard to improve and they can spend the money to do so, but it's certainly not quite there yet.
Is Riyadh "Vegas" or "Joshua Tree" in this analogy? Which one is Dubai? I'm so confused. Regardless I think many of us would choose Joshua Tree over Vegas, Riyahd, Dubai, or Abu Dhabi.
That comment was voiced from his inner bean-counter. You certainly are not wrong. Anyone who has stood on the beach in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab knows that you are correct.
In terms of US business travelers, however, Bastian is correct, despite his maladroit discourse. I just began a year-long business contract which has me in the Kingdom a month at a time. I will return there a total of 4, perhaps as...
That comment was voiced from his inner bean-counter. You certainly are not wrong. Anyone who has stood on the beach in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab knows that you are correct.
In terms of US business travelers, however, Bastian is correct, despite his maladroit discourse. I just began a year-long business contract which has me in the Kingdom a month at a time. I will return there a total of 4, perhaps as many as 6, visits in 2026. In fact, I would be there at the moment if I hadn't booked other gigs months ago. I only will have a chance to use Delta's new ATL-RUH service once or twice before the end of my contract. However, I could tell you that booking MCO-RUH at a reasonable Comfort+ fare with a single stop is yeoman's work. I realize that Delta's new service won't stay cheap but look forward to flying it, especially if the westbound itinerary didn't leave Riyadh at 2AM.
What was he going to say?
"Well, Richard, all the good middle eastern airlines were taken, so we grabbed hold of the last girl at the dance and took her home. Sure, she's a bit odd and has a nasty habit of murdering journalists and chopping them up into bits. But if we just look the other way and smile we'll be fine. She's rich after all."
kinda like AA and US, right?
Or DL and NW.
This is a non-issue. He was sitting next to the CEO of Riyadh Air, obviously he was going to make the comments he made. This is business lingo and nothing else.
Doesn't matter, since nobody is going to this sh****le of a place anyway. I avoid this part of the world like cancer, but if i had to, i would go to an other country than Saudi Arabia.
The CEO needs to fly international airlines.. and see why anyone with a choice will avoid flying Delta, United and American on an international flight instead of inventing ridiculous dialogue and excuses for the shitty flying conditions on US airlines
"anyone with a choice will avoid flying Delta, United and American on an international flight"
Followed by:
"instead of inventing ridiculous dialogue"
LOL, the lack of self-awareness by some of you people, is astonishing!
and yet DL consistently ranks higher than AA or UA in global airline rankings.
Amazing how people like you pull these arguments out when it comes to DL but can't understand why the same is true about AA and UA to an even larger degree.
Apparently, there is good reason why AA and UA make less money than DL even though they fly more capacity.
This may come as a shock to you, but there are other countries on earth that are not the United States of America.
I know you mean it as a joke, but having spent 20 years in and out of the US working for US corporations, a large percentage of the US (basically almost all of it not on the coasts other than Chicago and a few other places) is genuinely unaware other countries don’t work exactly the same as the US and/or don’t care about the outside world.
Reminder for you…Delta ranks below SQ, JL, QR, NH, EY, and EK — no one in their right mind would fly Delta over one of these other carriers.
It’s also a bit pathetic how Ed is now taking subsides and getting cozy with with RX that only exists because of the PIF.
Once again, Delta is the loser to the gulf carrier party. Saudi Arabia will never be the UAE.
"Reminder for you…Delta ranks below SQ, JL, QR, NH, EY, and EK — no one in their right mind would fly Delta over one of these other carriers."
Hate to toss a wrench into your fantasy, with something so disappointing as numerical fact, but on the majority of the transpacific routes within which they compete, the USA carriers actually command a higher average fare in point of sale. Not that that's surprising, considering their cost...
"Reminder for you…Delta ranks below SQ, JL, QR, NH, EY, and EK — no one in their right mind would fly Delta over one of these other carriers."
Hate to toss a wrench into your fantasy, with something so disappointing as numerical fact, but on the majority of the transpacific routes within which they compete, the USA carriers actually command a higher average fare in point of sale. Not that that's surprising, considering their cost structure, but that's the ACTUAL reality of the situation.
Not only do people readily ride them, they sometimes pay more to do it. Go figure.
The comment explicitly mentioned AA and UA as well.
Back in the mid-2000s, I was flying back and forth between the US East Coast and Korea.
Normally, I was on a United transcontinental flight to SFO, connecting to a flight across the Pacific.
My options for the long-haul flight were always either United or Singapore running a fifth-freedom flight. Do the math on my choice.
That's part of the joy of international travel. You get options beyond the "Pig 3".
Asian? French? You've got...
Back in the mid-2000s, I was flying back and forth between the US East Coast and Korea.
Normally, I was on a United transcontinental flight to SFO, connecting to a flight across the Pacific.
My options for the long-haul flight were always either United or Singapore running a fifth-freedom flight. Do the math on my choice.
That's part of the joy of international travel. You get options beyond the "Pig 3".
Asian? French? You've got it.
British and German suck, but so do the American carriers.
I don't understand his comment badmouthing the ME3 because most of their traffic is connecting (though Dubai/Abu Dhabi have become major destinations in their own right -- Disney's building a park there, case in point). The majority of Delta's passengers at its largest hub are just connecting there. What's wrong with that?
I eagerly wait on old mate's wall of text.
Eagerly? I usually feel a sense of dread when I open the comments section on a DL post.
Well it's so bizarre but it's a ritual you know? If it didn't appeal I would be worried something happened.
no way! A CEO of a large corporation is a lying weasel....
Say it aint so! *rolleyes*
This is a tired story and nobody really cares.
I mean this whole discourse is exhausting. The first few times, sure some room for discussion. The fact there are so many articles and pingback links on this topic make it clear this is tired.
At the end of the day, does it even matter what the Delta CEO said here? All people say dumb and hypocritical stuff. The same way LGBT aviation content creators will fly ME carriers and party in places where queer...
I mean this whole discourse is exhausting. The first few times, sure some room for discussion. The fact there are so many articles and pingback links on this topic make it clear this is tired.
At the end of the day, does it even matter what the Delta CEO said here? All people say dumb and hypocritical stuff. The same way LGBT aviation content creators will fly ME carriers and party in places where queer people have no rights.
Do Ed Bastian's comments meaningfully move the needle in any way for anyone? I don't think Delta flyers are affected by his statements, much less anyone else in the US.
@Julia...it's all about clicks and eyeballs. Content is secondary. If a dog suddenly starting barking "delta, delta, delta" instead of "yap yap yap" it would get posted here because....clicks. Clicks = $$$$
"All people say dumb and hypocritical stuff. The same way LGBT aviation content creators will fly ME carriers and party in places where queer people have no rights."
What relevance does that (ridiculously exaggerated) trope have to any of this?
I mean, if we're to take that same dense attempt at logic:
You could kill a gay person in more than half the states, claim "gay panic," and get away with it through 1998....
"All people say dumb and hypocritical stuff. The same way LGBT aviation content creators will fly ME carriers and party in places where queer people have no rights."
What relevance does that (ridiculously exaggerated) trope have to any of this?
I mean, if we're to take that same dense attempt at logic:
You could kill a gay person in more than half the states, claim "gay panic," and get away with it through 1998. Should no one gay have ridden Delta until then?
You could arrest a person on accusation of gay sex in Texas through 2003. Should no one gay have ridden American?
You really have no idea what you're talking about.
That's because you're dimwitted as sh!t, but it's not a difficult concept nor question.
But DL’s flight will have engines in the cargo hold for MRO…………………………………………..
yes. and you didn't know that the fans are taken off jet engines so the core can easily be transported in cargo holds of passenger aircraft.
sometimes, you really are better off to just admit to yourself that you were ignorant rather than fanning the flames of you stupidity.
Please, please for everyone’s sanity Dim Tunn, just let ONE story about DL go without any comments from your biased view of DL can do no wrong.
We get it okay, DL FA’s pour water from a bottle of Dasani and when it hits the glass it magically becomes a 1951 Penfolds Grange Hermitage and rose petals fall from the overhead vents.
Save your poor fingers from typing with purpose to be the sole defender of DL’s honor.
Bastian is a weasel. Remember when he ditched Delta during a gargantuan meltdown so he could vacation in Paris and see The Olympics? The guy simply doesn't care about anyone or anything good or positive. Let's just accept that.
Does anyone actually watch Richard Quest?
Only to ponder when he’ll take his next walk through Central Park at 3:00 a.m. with a rope around his neck connected to his genitals, a pocket of meth, and a sex toy in his boot.
@TravelinPenis, I see you are remarkably familiar with his interests. It takes one to know one(?)
I'm as straight as they come. Who could forget about that?? It's a classic.
Oh, Ben....you've really poked the infamous TD now (not that it takes much for him to regurgitate his usual spiel, ad nauseam).
The great irony here is Delta would have been a great partner with Emirates- they both are profitable mostly due to a ridiculously exaggerated "premium" effect on social media, and both have tanked their loyalty programs to be worthless
Two airlines that are all sizzle with no steak. Delta and Emirates.