UAE: Saudi Airline flynas Expanding to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Maktoum Airport

Saudi Arabia’s leading low-cost carrier, flynas, has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly broaden its presence in the UAE market. The airline announced a strategic expansion that includes adding Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) to its network. This move is part of flynas’ proactive strategy to enhance connectivity and meet the increasing demand for affordable air travel between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

By September 2024, flynas aims to establish itself as the primary Saudi airline serving all four major airports in the UAE. Currently operating four routes, flynas plans to expand its network to nine routes, enabling the airline to operate more than 20 daily flights between the two countries. This expansion reflects flynas’ commitment to catering to the growing market for low-cost travel in the Gulf region.

Bander Almohanna, the Managing Director and CEO of flynas, emphasized the airline’s operational excellence and rapid fleet expansion as key enablers of this significant growth initiative. “We are leveraging our operational strengths and doubling our fleet size in less than two years to support our robust growth trajectory,” Almohanna remarked. He further highlighted that this expansion aligns with the National Civil Aviation Strategy, aimed at enhancing Saudi Arabia’s connectivity with international destinations and supporting tourism objectives, including the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP).

Presently, flynas operates flights to Dubai International Airport from its main bases in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah. With the expansion, flynas will introduce new routes, including flights to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai from King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh. Flights to Shaikh Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi will connect from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (JED) and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) in Madinah. Additionally, Sharjah International Airport will be served from both Jeddah and Madinah.

Since its inception in 2007, flynas has grown into a robust airline, connecting over 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1,500 weekly flights. The airline has served over 78 million passengers and aims to expand its network to 165 destinations, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s strategic aviation goals and contributing to the country’s economic growth.

The expansion of flynas’ operations into Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Maktoum Airport not only strengthens its market presence but also reinforces Saudi Arabia’s vision to become a global hub for air travel. By facilitating increased connectivity and enhancing travel options for passengers, flynas plays a pivotal role in advancing the region’s aviation sector while supporting economic development and tourism initiatives in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.