Flynas expands fleet to meet market demand: CEO

Saudi budget airline Flynas expects to increase its fleet to 80 aircraft over the coming years, from 30 currently, CEO Bander Abdulrahman Al-Mohanna told CNBC Arabia.

Flynas, which operates direct flights to 22 international airports, has added more aircraft and opened new routes over the past two years in response to growing demand, he added.

The Saudi aviation sector saw an average growth of 8 percent over the past five years, compared to the global average of 4 percent. 

The Kingdom is expected to maintain this growth over the next five years as well, especially with the country’s economic reforms, and plans to boost religious tourism.

Saudi Arabia, which is the region’s largest aviation market, aims to increase Hajj and Umrah visitors to 15 million by 2020 from the current 8 million visitors.

Accordingly, Flynas has leased two wide-body aircraft in order to meet demand from religious tourism.

In terms of favored destinations for Saudi travelers, Egypt, UAE, Turkey and the Gulf countries retain the top spots, followed by Pakistan and India, Al-Mohanna said.

Commenting on the carrier’s growth plans, he noted that Flynas is seeking to increase its market share as a national carrier, against other dominant international airlines.

The airline has entered new markets this year, such as Algeria, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Flynas has also signed an agreement to acquire 120 Airbus A320 aeroplanes with a capacity of 174 passengers each, in order to compete in a fierce market that has a state-backed airline. 

In order to support private national carriers, Saudi Arabia must implement systems to prevent foreign state-backed airlines from amassing an unfair market share, Al-Mohanna said.

Bilateral open-air agreements, which control the number of flights between the two destinations, sometimes affect private carriers.

While the state tries to ensure a level playing field for its national carriers, the aviation sector still needs more support, he noted.