Company Insights Flyadeal Aviation Flyadeal Overview Low-cost airline Flyadeal launched in 2017 as a subsidiary of Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national carrier. Operating from its main base at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, the airline initially served domestic destinations and targeted Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, tourists and local travellers. Flyadeal’s first route connected Jeddah to Riyadh, and by June 2022 it expanded to international destinations with flights from Dammam to Cairo. Flyadeal serves a network of almost 30 destinations across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, with bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. Flyadeal operates around 35 aircraft and has more than 60 more on order, with plans to ultimately reach 100 aircraft by 2030. Its fleet consists mainly of Airbus models, including A320-200s and A320neos. In 2018 Flyadeal won the CAPA Centre for Aviation’s “Airline Startup of the Year” award. This was followed by the “Best Low-Cost Airline Brand” and “Fastest Growing Airline Brand” awards in 2022. The number of Flyadeal seats has consistently risen by around 5 percent each year to reach over 5 million in the first half of 2024. Flyadeal News Analysis Aviation Gulf aviation and politics intersect at 30,000 feet As headlines swirled around Qatar’s reported gifting of a private jet to President Donald Trump, the real political theatre last month unfolded in the skies above the Gulf. Within days of each other, regional carriers Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways revealed a combined 238-jet order from Boeing, the troubled US manufacturer, highlighting how aviation serves […] June 6, 2025 Aviation Passenger profit is three times global average at Middle East airlines Middle East airlines are set to generate $27.20 in profit per passenger this year, more than three times the global average, as the region continues to lead the global aviation industry on profitability, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total net income for Middle Eastern carriers is forecast to exceed $6.2 billion in […] June 2, 2025 EXCLUSIVE Aviation Expect commercial jet shortages until 2030, warns Flyadeal CEO The head of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal has warned that deliveries of in-demand commercial jets to the aviation industry will be severely constrained until the end of the decade. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told AGBI that despite having eight Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025, the airline is planning on receiving only five. […] May 1, 2025 Aviation Saudia signs Airbus deal for up to 20 wide-body aircraft Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national airline, has finalised a new agreement with European manufacturer Airbus to buy up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft. Of these, 10 are firm orders for Flyadeal, the group’s budget airline, the carrier said in a statement. The delivery of these aircraft is set to start in 2027, with the last […] April 24, 2025 Aviation Saudi Arabia invites bids for charter airline Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator is inviting bids to set up a national charter airline. The General Authority of Civil Aviation opened the bid process on April 13 and has set a submission deadline of May 21, it said in a statement. All the bids will be opened on May 22. In February the regulator announced […] April 14, 2025 Opinion Aviation Aircraft shortages lead Gulf carriers to brace for disruption The global aviation industry is feeling the weight of supply chain disruptions February 10, 2025 Aviation Flyadeal to confirm wide-body order by year end Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flyadeal is set to make a decision on its wide-body aircraft order before the end of the year, with up to 15 planes potentially joining its fleet. CEO Steven Greenway confirmed on Wednesday that the order will be made up of repurposed 787s from parent company Saudia or brand-new aircraft from […] November 20, 2024 Aviation Saudia to receive flying taxis despite Lilium’s insolvency Saudi national carrier Saudia still plans to receive some of its 50-plane order of pilotless electric flying vehicles from Lilium despite the German company’s intention to file for insolvency. “We are in close coordination with the Lilium leadership team. We are expecting to receive the first jets in the second half of 2026, as per […] November 7, 2024 Aviation Saudia reports 10 percent increase in passengers Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier, transported more than nine million passengers during the third quarter of 2024, a 10 percent increase on the same period last year. Saudia said it operated more than 49,500 flights, a 9 percent increase from last year, with an on-time performance rate of 87.8 percent. Five million of its […] October 29, 2024 Transport Flyadeal seat capacity rises with fleet expansion Flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, reported a 5 percent year-on-year rise in seat capacity amid fleet expansion. The available seating capacity reached more than 5 million in the first half of 2024 as its fleet size increased 12 percent annually to 33 aircraft. The airline increased its routes to 75, up 8 percent year on […] August 1, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 3 Next
Analysis Aviation Gulf aviation and politics intersect at 30,000 feet As headlines swirled around Qatar’s reported gifting of a private jet to President Donald Trump, the real political theatre last month unfolded in the skies above the Gulf. Within days of each other, regional carriers Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways revealed a combined 238-jet order from Boeing, the troubled US manufacturer, highlighting how aviation serves […] June 6, 2025
Aviation Passenger profit is three times global average at Middle East airlines Middle East airlines are set to generate $27.20 in profit per passenger this year, more than three times the global average, as the region continues to lead the global aviation industry on profitability, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total net income for Middle Eastern carriers is forecast to exceed $6.2 billion in […] June 2, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Expect commercial jet shortages until 2030, warns Flyadeal CEO The head of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal has warned that deliveries of in-demand commercial jets to the aviation industry will be severely constrained until the end of the decade. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told AGBI that despite having eight Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025, the airline is planning on receiving only five. […] May 1, 2025
Aviation Saudia signs Airbus deal for up to 20 wide-body aircraft Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national airline, has finalised a new agreement with European manufacturer Airbus to buy up to 20 new wide-body A330neo aircraft. Of these, 10 are firm orders for Flyadeal, the group’s budget airline, the carrier said in a statement. The delivery of these aircraft is set to start in 2027, with the last […] April 24, 2025
Aviation Saudi Arabia invites bids for charter airline Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator is inviting bids to set up a national charter airline. The General Authority of Civil Aviation opened the bid process on April 13 and has set a submission deadline of May 21, it said in a statement. All the bids will be opened on May 22. In February the regulator announced […] April 14, 2025
Opinion Aviation Aircraft shortages lead Gulf carriers to brace for disruption The global aviation industry is feeling the weight of supply chain disruptions February 10, 2025
Aviation Flyadeal to confirm wide-body order by year end Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flyadeal is set to make a decision on its wide-body aircraft order before the end of the year, with up to 15 planes potentially joining its fleet. CEO Steven Greenway confirmed on Wednesday that the order will be made up of repurposed 787s from parent company Saudia or brand-new aircraft from […] November 20, 2024
Aviation Saudia to receive flying taxis despite Lilium’s insolvency Saudi national carrier Saudia still plans to receive some of its 50-plane order of pilotless electric flying vehicles from Lilium despite the German company’s intention to file for insolvency. “We are in close coordination with the Lilium leadership team. We are expecting to receive the first jets in the second half of 2026, as per […] November 7, 2024
Aviation Saudia reports 10 percent increase in passengers Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier, transported more than nine million passengers during the third quarter of 2024, a 10 percent increase on the same period last year. Saudia said it operated more than 49,500 flights, a 9 percent increase from last year, with an on-time performance rate of 87.8 percent. Five million of its […] October 29, 2024
Transport Flyadeal seat capacity rises with fleet expansion Flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, reported a 5 percent year-on-year rise in seat capacity amid fleet expansion. The available seating capacity reached more than 5 million in the first half of 2024 as its fleet size increased 12 percent annually to 33 aircraft. The airline increased its routes to 75, up 8 percent year on […] August 1, 2024
