Saudi Low-Cost Carrier Flynas Plans Airbus Order
Saudi Arabia-based low-cost carrier flynas could finalize an agreement with Airbus as soon as next week.
A Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter claimed that the Saudi Arabian airline is looking to bolster its order book to compete with other airlines within the region. The order could come as soon as the Paris Air Show, which begins on June 19, 2023, the report added.
flynas currently operates 58 Airbus aircraft:
- 17 A320
- 32 A320no
- 7 A330-300s
- 2 A330-900neos
Out of those, nine are wet leased: four A320, three A330-300, and two A330-900neos.
flynas has also ordered more Airbus jets for future delivery. As of May 31, 2023, Airbus Orders & Deliveries data showed that flynas had orders for 41 A320neos and 10 A321neos. The latter are the long-range version of the A321neo known as the A321XLR.
flynas revealed that it expected to transport more than 100,000 pilgrims during the 1444 AH Hajj pilgrimage season, specifically taking in an Airbus A330 aircraft to prepare for the pilgrimages.
In Q1 2023, the low-cost carrier transported 2.4 million passengers on 17,000 flights, growing the number of flights by 13% compared to the same period last year.
“We announced adding 10 new destinations and routes in Asia and Europe during the 2023 summer season, as of next June, bringing the total summer destinations to 20, as we keep expanding our ever-growing international network, notably after the company’s board of directors approved increasing our orders for new aircraft to 250 aircraft and our plan to obtain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in two more countries, with the aim of doubling operations and expansion internationally,” Bander Almohanna, the chief executive officer (CEO) of flynas, said when the airline announced its Q1 2023 results on May 21, 2023.
flynas is one of the leading low-cost carriers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. It offers domestic and international flights to more than 40 destinations across Asia, Africa and Europe.