RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--flyadeal, one of the youngest and fastest growing low-cost airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, today announced a landmark order for 51 narrowbody Airbus aircraft to fuel the next phase of its expansion plans.
The historic agreement for 12 Airbus A320neos and 39 bigger capacity A321neos was signed as part of a wider announcement by parent Saudia Group for a record 105 aircraft order – the largest in Saudi aviation history. The announcement was made on the opening day of the Future Aviation Forum being held in Riyadh this week.
His Excellency Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, presided over the official signing by His Excellency Eng Ibrahim Al-Omar, Saudia Group Director General, and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice-President Sales.
flyadeal’s new fleet will support growth targets that will see a tripling in size from the current 32 all-Airbus A320neo and ceo variants to more than 100 aircraft by 2030, with its network reach rising sharply from 30 domestic and international destinations to over 100 within six years.
Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “Today’s historic announcement is a clear statement of intent of flyadeal’s goals as we prepare for the next phase of dynamic growth beyond 2026 when we begin taking deliveries of the new aircraft.
“flyadeal has exciting plans with the new fleet, especially the A321neos which will give us the flexibility on high-demand routes and to slot-constrained airports by offering up to 240 seats that represent 30 per cent more capacity than our current 186-seat A320s. And of course these new generation, environmentally friendly aircraft will provide optimum fuel efficiency, very much in line with the Kingdom’s sustainability drive and Saudi Vision 2030 to build a dynamic aviation industry.”
flyadeal’s current fleet comprises 21 A320neo and 11 A320ceo variants operating from three hubs in the Kingdom – Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. The airline is inducting on average one aircraft every month into the fleet from an existing order until the end of 2025.
About flyadeal
On 23 September 2017, National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, flyadeal began operations with its historic maiden flight from Jeddah to Riyadh. A pioneer and innovator, flyadeal was the first regional low-cost airline to be launched only across digital distribution channels. Being the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia — both under the umbrella ownership of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation (Saudia Group) — flyadeal was created for the price conscious and tech savvy consumer in mind in a market where 80 per cent of the Saudi population is aged less than 40 years and has at least two mobile phones.
flyadeal aims to stimulate travel, tourism and trade with its affordable, value for money everyday fares catering to leisure, religious, family and business travellers. Simplicity is key with an all-Economy class cabin across flyadeal’s fleet. With the Kingdom undergoing dramatic transformation through its Vision 2030 economic diversification drive, aviation and tourism are among the many sectors earmarked for dramatic growth, so air travel has huge potential. Today, flyadeal is one of the youngest and fastest growing low-cost airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East.
flyadeal operates a young fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft flying from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to towns and cities across Saudi Arabia with a growing international footprint in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The airline has flown over 25 million passengers since its inaugural flight. In 2021, flyadeal took delivery of the first of 30 Airbus A320neos, part of a wider aircraft order placed by parent Saudia Group at the Paris Air Show two years earlier. By 2030, flyadeal plans to operate hundreds of routes that will see its network and fleet triple in number to over 100 destinations and aircraft respectively. flyadeal’s aggressive expansion drive makes the rapidly growing airline one of the country’s most desirable companies to work for.
Fly for Less…www.flyadeal.com
