Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline flyadeal ended 2025 on a record-setting high, closing out a year marked by unprecedented expansion, operational excellence, and milestone achievements across its network.

The carrier transported 10.7 million passengers—a 33% increase year-on-year—crossing the 10-million threshold for the first time in its history. This growth was achieved despite a comparatively modest 21% rise in seat capacity, underscoring strong market demand and efficient utilization.

Network expansion was equally robust: flyadeal added 66% more routes than in 2024, fueled by new aircraft deliveries, intensified international operations, and its largest-ever Hajj and Umrah pilgrim transport campaign. The airline’s scheduled and seasonal destinations rose by 50%, spanning markets across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and South Asia.

The number of pilgrims ferried to the Kingdom more than doubled to 220,000, reflecting flyadeal’s growing role in facilitating global religious travel. To support its increasing scale, the airline opened a new Operations Control Centre in Jeddah—four times the size of the previous facility—and announced Madinah as its fourth operational base within Saudi Arabia.

In a string of industry firsts, flyadeal became the first Saudi airline to wet-lease aircraft both into and out of the Kingdom, and an early mover regionally by training its cabin crew as accredited tour guides.

The carrier also widened its commercial footprint by joining the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and signing its first Global Distribution System (GDS) agreement with Amadeus, making its inventory more accessible to travel agents worldwide. It furthermore launched its first loyalty partnership with AlFursan, Saudia’s rewards programme, enabling customers to earn and redeem miles across both airlines.

Complementing its growth story, flyadeal maintained its reputation for reliability—posting an On-Time Performance (OTP) rate of nearly 90% throughout 2025, making it the most punctual low-cost airline in the Middle East and North Africa. In June 2025, the carrier was named the world’s most punctual airline—across both budget and full-service categories—achieving 91.77% on-time performance, according to Cirium data.

Executives highlight resilience, vision, and performance
CEO Steven Greenway described 2025 as a “landmark year,” crediting success to strategic foresight, teamwork, and swift adaptation to new opportunities.

“We expanded our footprint aggressively—launching new routes in Pakistan and Syria, boosting our Egyptian operations, and setting a new record for inbound pilgrim traffic,” said Greenway. “Our people’s dedication and agility made this possible, and 2026 promises even more exciting developments.”

COO Captain Abdulaziz Bahri reflected on operational achievements supported by 16 additional aircraft—including eight wet-leased jets that played a key role in managing global Hajj and Umrah flights.

“It was likely the most successful year in our history, both operationally and in punctuality,” he said.

CFO Abdulrahman Ajabnoor detailed the airline’s strategic leap into long-haul operations, including an order for 10 new Airbus A330 widebodies.

“With strong backing from the Saudia Group, we’re investing sensibly for the future while keeping operational costs low to deliver affordable fares,” he emphasized.

Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Rogier van Enk highlighted flyadeal’s expanded fare options and service upgrades, remarking that the airline’s broad network now connects “more cities, more often,” while enhancing the passenger experience.

CIO Mohannad AlSalmi credited the airline’s in-house technology team for its transformative role.

“Building internal tech capabilities allowed us to roll out essential projects that boosted efficiency and ensured smooth operations 24/7,” he said.

Chief People Officer Mohammed Mudhish celebrated workforce growth in line with Saudi Vision 2030, noting the company’s 1,800-strong team and its new cadet pilot and student internship programmes that foster Saudi talent.

Chief Audit, Risk and Compliance Officer Yasir Malak remarked that 2025 “tested the company’s resilience,” but also reinforced its governance and operational discipline.

2025 at a glance

• 10.7 million passengers carried (+33%), surpassing 10 million for the first time.

• Seat capacity up 21%.

• 159 routes operated (+66%) from multiple Saudi bases.

• 43 destinations served year-round and seasonally (+50%).

• Fleet expanded to 44 Airbus A320s plus eight wet-leased aircraft.

• 220,000 Hajj and Umrah passengers carried (+107%).

• Widebody fleet order: 10 Airbus A330s.

• Expansion into South Asia via five routes to Pakistan and debut services to Damascus.

• Named most punctual airline in MENA and world’s No. 1 in June 2025 (Cirium).

• Opened new Jeddah Operations Control Centre.

• Launched loyalty, training, and talent programmes aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Riyadh Air and Saudia have announced the implementation of the first phase of their Strategic Cooperation Agreement, marking a major step in strengthening connectivity under Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy.

The partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023 and enables the two airlines to expand travel options for domestic and international passengers.

As part of the first phase, Riyadh Air has established a connection with Saudia’s Passenger Service System (PSS), allowing the carriers to implement their codeshare across their respective technology platforms.

Under the RX-SV codeshare, Riyadh Air will place its “RX” designator on selected Saudia-operated flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to six domestic destinations: Abha, Al Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina and Tabuk.

The agreement will give Riyadh Air passengers access to additional destinations worldwide through convenient connections in Riyadh. For example, travelers from Dammam can connect via Riyadh to Madrid on a single ticket, while passengers flying from Kuala Lumpur can connect through Riyadh to Medina.

By using Saudia’s frequent services between Riyadh and the six codeshare destinations, Riyadh Air will offer passengers more convenient connections aligned with the arrival and departure schedules of its flights at Riyadh.

Both airlines operate within the King Khalid International Airport Terminal 1-4 complex, enabling passengers to benefit from streamlined connections, single-ticket journeys and through-checked baggage to their final destinations.

The first phase represents a significant step toward deeper cooperation between Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers and supports the Kingdom’s broader ambitions to expand its global aviation network.

Source: aaco.org

SalamAir has announced the establishment of Salalah’s first-ever airline base, marking a major step in the airline’s expansion and strengthening direct international connectivity from Oman’s Dhofar Governorate.

The new Salalah-based operation will initially serve three international destinations: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Chattogram in Bangladesh and Calicut in India. Bookings opened on August 26, with flights scheduled to begin from the end of October as part of SalamAir’s Winter 2026 schedule.

The base follows SalamAir’s expanded operations during the 2026 Khareef season, when the airline increased capacity on the Muscat-Salalah route to as many as 15 daily flights during peak periods.

The airline also introduced special domestic fares for Omani nationals, with one-way tickets starting from OMR 9.99, supporting affordable travel between Muscat and Salalah.

The new base is expected to extend SalamAir’s role beyond the Khareef season by supporting year-round travel demand among residents and expatriate communities in Dhofar while offering more direct access to key regional and international destinations.

Operations from Salalah will be supported by SalamAir’s Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet. The airline currently operates 18 aircraft, providing additional flexibility to support growing demand across its network.

During the winter season, SalamAir will also operate charter flights linking Salalah with Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan, supporting inbound tourism from Central Asia.

The Salalah base forms part of SalamAir’s wider strategy to expand its network from key airports across Oman, develop underserved markets and stimulate new travel demand while supporting the growth of the Sultanate’s aviation and tourism sectors.

Source: ZAWYA