Saudi Arabia's budget airline...

Carrier also aims to launch 25 new routes by next April

Saudi Arabia's budget airline Flyadeal has expressed interest in expanding its operations to India in the next 12 months, according to CEO Steve Greenway.

Flyadeal, a subsidiary of flag carrier Saudia, operates from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam to a domestic and international network covering about 30 destinations.

According to Greenway, the airline has set its sights on travellers from India, China and Southeast Asia.

“China is on the radar, but India, in particular, is key due to the prevalence of worker traffic and religious traffic from the Subcontinent. That’s certainly something we are looking at over the next 12 months. The market size in India is huge," said Greenway.

"What many people don’t realise is that we already codeshare with Saudia. This means we connect to Saudia’s hubs in Riyadh and Jeddah, and passengers flying from the Subcontinent can connect with Saudia’s European routes. As we expand into India, we’ll be bringing passengers not only to the kingdom but also to Saudia.”

Further to this, Flyadeal, which will have a fleet of 38 aircraft by the end of the year, plans to increase the fleet to 88 within the next three years, with a mix of aircraft in the Airbus A320 family.

“We’ll be adding 320s, and soon, the A321s will start joining us in Q1 of 2026. These fantastic aircraft will allow us to operate longer routes,” Greenway said.

The overall goal is to reach 100 aircraft in the fleet by 2030.

“There’s a massive mandate from the government [of Saudi Arabia] to bring pilgrims, workers, and high-volume, low-yield traffic into the kingdom. To cater to that market, we need widebody aircraft," added Greenway.

“We are targeting long-haul routes for pilgrims coming from the UK for Hajj or Umrah, as well as worker traffic from Southeast Asia, places like Thailand and beyond.”

For more information, visit www.flyadeal.com

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