Flyadeal confirms order of 51 Airbus narrowbody jets

Flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, has ordered 51 narrowbody Airbus aircraft to fuel its expansion plans.

The carrier confirmed on Thursday it will receive 12 Airbus A320neos and 39 A321neos as part of the announcement by its parent company, Saudia Group, for 105 aircraft, the “largest deal in Saudi aviation history”.  

Deliveries of the new aircraft will start in 2026. Flyadeal’s fleet will triple in size from the current 32 all-Airbus A320neo and ceo variants to more than 100 aircraft by 2030.

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The airline’s network reach will increase from 30 domestic and international destinations to over 100 within six years.

Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway said the A321neos will give the airline the flexibility on high-demand routes and to slot-constrained airports by offering up to 240 seats that represent 30 percent more capacity than its current 186-seat A320s.

Flyadeal’s current fleet operates from three hubs in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

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The airline is inducting on average one aircraft every month into the fleet from an existing order until the end of 2025.

Saudia director general Ibrahim Al-Omar told an aviation industry forum in Riyadh this month that 88 new aircraft “will be received in the next five years”.

The kingdom’s new airline, Riyadh Air, owned by the Public Investment Fund, will announce a fleet of narrowbody jets later this year for a first-phase expansion that will eventually include a new terminal in Riyadh. 

The total number of air passengers in Saudi Arabia rose 26 percent to 112 million in 2023, including a 46 percent rise in the total number of international travellers to 61 million.