Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal started a new Mumbai-Riyadh service, adding over 7,400 monthly seats. Acting CEO Sanjiv Kapoor said, "India is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing aviation markets." The airline plans to ramp up capacity and add more destinations as it grows its fleet to 100 aircraft by 2030.
Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal has expanded its India network with a new Mumbai-Riyadh service, adding more than 7,400 monthly seats and offering connections to several destinations across Saudi Arabia
"India is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing aviation markets and a strategic priority for flyadeal as we continue to expand our international network," Sanjiv Kapoor, acting chief executive officer, flyadeal, and executive vice president, strategy, Saudia Group, said.
Kapoor further added, "We just started flying into India this year because we didn't have the aircraft capable of making the range from our Saudi origins due to various reasons, but now we do," he said.
"We've started gradually in India in this environment, and we will ramp up our frequencies and capacity and add more destinations, particularly as the situation normalises," Kapoor said.
The bilateral agreement allows operations between Saudi Arabia and eight points in India. "We hope to be in almost all of them as things normalise," he said. Flyadeal is looking at Tier 1, Tier 2 and unserved markets where there is demand for low fares to and from Saudi Arabia.
On operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), Kapoor said it was too early to commit to plans, with the airline having only recently started Mumbai operations. "If there is demand for low-fare services, we will certainly evaluate it, but it's still too early," Kapoor said.
Flyadeal also sees an opportunity for low-cost long-haul operations in the region, driven by high volumes of religious traffic, workers and price-sensitive travellers. "Flyadeal is getting Airbus A330 aircraft at the end of next year to operate to these long-haul markets, which are six hours or more, six to eight hours away from Saudi Arabia," Kapoor said.
The airline currently operates 47 Airbus A320 aircraft and will receive 240-seat A321neos from the middle of next year. It will receive 420-seat A330neos by the end of next year, enabling longer routes. By the end of 2030, flyadeal expects its fleet to grow to close to 100 aircraft.