Budget carrier flynas launches direct flights between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi

Riyadh: Budget carrier flynas celebrated the launch of its new direct flight route connecting Riyadh and Abu Dhabi late last week.

From April 10, flynas have been operating three weekly flights between King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Shaikh Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Passengers on the inaugural departing flight were greeted with special giveaways.

flynas now stands as the only Saudi Arabian carrier serving all four major airports in the UAE with direct flights from its main hubs in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah.

This expansion into the UAE market aligns with flynas' ambitious growth strategy, "We Connect the World to the Kingdom," and supports Saudi Arabia's National Civil Aviation Strategy's goals of connecting the Kingdom with 250 international destinations, accommodating 330 million passengers, and hosting 150 million tourists annually by 2030. The initiative also contributes to the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP) by facilitating access to the Two Holy Mosques.

An inaugural ceremony was held at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh to commemorate the maiden direct flight between the Saudi and Emirati capitals. Representatives from flynas and Riyadh Airports Company, the operator of KKIA, attended the event. This new route further solidifies flynas' position as the largest air carrier connecting the two nations, now offering more than 20 daily flights.

The airline operates 139 routes to over 70 domestic and international destinations across 30 countries, with more than 1,500 weekly flights. Since its inception in 2007, flynas has carried over 80 million passengers and aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations as part of its growth and expansion plan, which aligns with Saudi Vision 2030.