Flyadeal to operate international flights by Q2 2018, says Al-Jasser

Flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s new budget airline, will initially operate flights to major domestic destinations like Riyadh and Dammam before expanding to international markets by Q2 2018, Saudia director general Saleh Bin Nasser Al-Jasser told Argaam.

The airline, which will have its first commercial flight on Sep. 23, will adopt a cost-efficient business model and will also offer low-cost travel options, Al-Jasser said.

Flyadeal, a subsidiary of state-owned Saudia, has been granted an air operating license allowing it to operate domestic and international flights to and from Saudi airports, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Wednesday.

The carrier will start with low-fare domestic flights before raising prices, but will always offer cheaper fares than peers, Al-Jasser said.

The airline received its first aircraft, an Airbus A320-200, last month from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. The plane was the first of a fleet of eight Airbus A320-200s, which are expected to be delivered this year and the next.

“We expect the entire fleet ranging between 30-50 aircraft to be delivered by 2020,” Al-Jasser noted.