Saudi budget carrier flynas takes delivery of 3 A320neo aircraft

Saudi Arabia’s flynas said it took delivery of three new Airbus A320neo aircraft in November, further upscaling the budget carrier’s fleet to 63 aircraft.

The low-cost carrier said its fleet expansion is aimed at supporting the kingdom’s National Civil Aviation Strategy to increase the number of international destinations linked to the Gulf state to 250 as well as attract 100 million tourists annually by 2030.

With the latest deliveries, flynas has more than doubled the size of its all-Airbus fleet by more than 100 per cent in less than two years, increasing its A320neo aircraft by more than 73 per cent to 46 aircraft.

flynas has taken delivery of 18 out of 19 new A320neo aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023, within an order of purchasing 120 aircraft from Airbus valued at more than SAR32bn, with plans to increase the order book to 250.

The A320neo family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines, Sharklets and aerodynamics, which together deliver at least 20 per cent lower fuel burn and carbon emission savings.

The addition of the new aircraft is expected to support the carrier’s growth plans as it continues to expand its international routes and destinations network. Its fleet also has four A330 wide-body aircraft.

The airline connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1500 weekly flights and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007.

flynas soars high

Meanwhile, flynas posted revenue growth of 47 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period a year earlier, while passenger traffic surged by 26 per cent to more than 2.4 million from 1.9 million in 2022.

The number of flights jumped also 13 per cent to 17,000 in Q1 2023 from 15,000 flights the corresponding period last, driven by a recovery in air traffic.

flynas is moving forward with its expansion plans in its network of destinations, which requires upscaling its aircraft fleet.

The airline launched several new domestic and international destinations in the recent past including four direct weekly flights between Dammam and Hail, direct flights from Jeddah to Brussels and the European Union in cooperation with the Air Connectivity Program, and direct flights to Bahrain from Riyadh and Jeddah.

It also launched operations base at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah

The carrier signed an MoU with Eve Air Mobility in November to explore the future of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations in Saudi Arabia. flynas and Eve Air Mobility seek to start eVTOL operations in Riyadh and Jeddah in 2026.

Last month, it also joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as an affiliate member, becoming the first Saudi airline and first low-cost carrier in the Middle East to join the organisation.

Read: flynas becomes first Saudi carrier to join UNWTO