Arab News, Thu, Oct 05, 2023 | Rabi Al-Awwal 20, 1445
flynas receives 5 new A320neo aircraft, expands fleet to 56
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier flynas received five new Airbus A320neo aircraft
on Wednesday, raising its fleet to 56 airliners.
The acquisitions mean the budget airline has seen
a 100 percent growth over the last two years, according to a press release.
The fleet expansion also aligns with the Kingdom’s
National Civil Aviation Strategy to reach 330 million passengers and to increase
the number of international destinations linked to 250 by 2030.
Furthermore, it positions well with the expansion
strategy launched by flynas early last year under the slogan “We Connect the
World to the Kingdom.”
“The rise of our fleet will enable us to increase
our expansion plans in the current year through the launch of new domestic and
international destinations, and in particular, the company, over the next weeks,
will receive new eight planes as part of the batch scheduled for delivery in
2023 in a total of 19 aircraft, within an order of purchasing 120 aircraft from
Airbus in a total amount exceeding SR32 billion ($8.5 billion),” said CEO and
Managing Director of flynas Bander Al-Mohanna.
He continued that the company proceeds to
strengthen its role as the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and one
of the top 5 airlines worldwide.
The CEO added: “This new batch of aircraft
reflects flynas’s commitment to achieving its strategy of growth and expansion
by upscaling its fleet and multiplying the seating capacity of domestic and
international flights in line with objectives of the program of serving pilgrims
to streamline access to the two holy mosques and the national strategy of civil
aviation to enable national airlines to participate in linking the world with
the Kingdom.”
The national carrier has expanded its fleet of
A320neo aircraft to a total of 39 planes, now accounting for approximately 70
percent of its entire stock.
This step emphasizes the company’s dedication to
sustainability, as the aircraft is renowned for being an environmentally
friendly and highly fuel-efficient model.
In August, the Kingdom’s commitment to a circular
economy drew the attention of the aviation sector, with flynas signing an
agreement with Saudi Investment Recycling Co. to embrace integrated waste
management practices.
According to a press statement released at the
time, the memorandum of understanding will help the airline explore partnership
opportunities in sustainability to work toward an advanced circular economy.
It will also look into recycling solutions from
the operational waste collected from airlines, including oils, plastics, and
batteries, the statement explained at the time.