Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flynas has recorded a 28 pc growth in its passenger traffic in the year 2023, when it also added 19 aircraft to its fleet.

Low-cost Saudi Arabian airline Flynas says that it carried 11.1 million passengers in 2023, representing more than a 28 pc growth over the numbers in 2022.

In a press statement the airline says that it also expanded its fleet in the year gone by, taking delivery of 19 new aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 64 aircraft, an increase of more than 35 pc year on year.

“We have succeeded in doubling the size of our fleet by more than 100 pc in less than two years. We also signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase 30 new A320neo aircraft as part of a 120-aircraft order with a value exceeding SAR32 billion (USD 8.5 billion) and plan to increase the order to 250 aircraft,” says Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director, Flynas.

“Our continued investments to increase the fleet size and destinations network have contributed to enhancing our leading regional and global position and to advance in the Skytrax classification, the most prestigious reference in the aviation industry, to be among the top 4 LCC in the world and the best in the Middle East,” Almohanna adds.

The airline says that it also expanded its network significantly, adding 57 new destinations and routes to 10 countries over the course of 2023. It also inaugurated its fourth operations base at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. The airline adds that its growth supported an increased seat capacity of 22 pc for domestic and international flights.

“Flynas will keep providing innovative solutions and technologies that are reflected in the passengers’ experience as the company is moving steadily to achieve its strategic goals, in parallel with the objectives of the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP) to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques and the National Civil Aviation Strategy to enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting Saudi Arabia with 250 International destinations and to accommodate 330 million passengers and to host 100 million tourists yearly by 2030,” says Almohanna.

The low-cost airline is also exploring going beyond the traditional commercial aviation. Recently, urban air mobility company Eve Air Mobility, belonging to the Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, signed an MoU with Flynas to explore the future of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations in Saudi Arabia. The two entities will consider the possibility of starting eVTOL operations in Riyadh and Jeddah by 2026.