RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s budget airline flynas has launched two new routes from Jeddah to India and Eritrea as the Kingdom’s aviation industry continues to expand.
The flight to Mumbai started on Jan. 15 and operations to Asmara began on Jan. 17. There are two weekly direct journeys scheduled for each destination.
The move comes as part of the National Civil Aviation Strategy to enable national air carriers to connect the Kingdom with 250 international destinations and to accommodate 330 million passengers annually by 2030.
It is also entwined with the objectives of the Pilgrims Experience Program to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques.
In December, the budget carrier added service between Jeddah and Brussels to its ever-growing portfolio of worldwide destinations, making it the first Saudi airline to link the Kingdom with Belgium.
The airline also commenced flights to Addis Ababa and Bishkek in October 2023.
flynas reported record results in 2023, witnessing a surge in passenger traffic of over 11 million — a 28 percent increase from the previous year. It also took delivery of 19 new aircraft during the year as it expanded its fleet to 64.
The carrier launched 57 new destinations and routes to 10 countries during the year as it also opened its fourth operations base at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. There was also an increase in seat capacity by 22 percent for domestic and international flights.
The CEO and managing director of flynas, Bander Al-Mohanna, said that the airline’s performance in 2023 “reflects the strength of our business model, the distinguished effort made by our team, and the effectiveness of our strategic plan for growth and expansion.”
He added that investments to increase the fleet size and destinations network have helped make flynas one of the top four low-cost carriers in the world and the best in the Middle East.
Al-Mohanna said flynas has signed an agreement with Airbus to buy 30 new A320neo aircraft as part of a 120-aircraft order worth SR32 billion ($8.5 billion), with plans to increase the order to 250 aircraft.
He added that the airline is determined to pursue its expansion to new markets, with announcements to be made during the first quarter of 2024.
The low-cost 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, with the aim to reach 165 domestic and international destinations.
