Saudia’s new low-cost airline to start operations next year

Jeddah:  Saudi Airlines Corporation have announced a new airline called Flyadeal, which will operate as a budget airline serving domestic and international routes.

Flyadeal will begin operations from the middle of next year, said Director General of Saudi Airlines Corporation Saleh Al-Jasser during a special ceremony at King Abdulaziz Airport on Sunday.

It will operate independently of its parent firm, Jasser said.

“Flyadeal is an airline under the Saudi Arabian Holding Group with complete autonomy from Saudi Arabian Airlines as a separate strategic business unit,” he said.

He said the airline would be “an addition to the list of strategic initiatives that are being implemented toward the National Transformation Program.”

Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, Saudia’s Chairman of the Board and President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said: “The new airline will enable the Saudi Airlines Corporation serve a large market and cater to the growing demand from consumers for low-cost travel.”

He said Flyadeal will support Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector by serving a new set of travelers, and providing them with affordable air links to popular, high-demand destinations. “A lot of ground work has been done thus far, and I’m pleased to note that Flyadeal is on track to launch its first flights by mid-2017,” Al-Hamdan said.

Later at a press conference, Jasser noted that Flyadeal will initially focus on local and regional routes within the GCC and neighboring countries.

FlyAdeal is planning to induct 29 Airbus A 320 aircraft within the next few months, according to Jasser.