Flynas all set to serve tourists flow driven by new visa scheme: CEO

Saudi Arabia's low-cost carrier flynas is all set to serve the expected flow of tourists following the introduction of the new e-visa scheme in the Kingdom, CEO Bander Almohanna told Argaam in an exclusive on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show.

He added that the newly introduced electronic visa will certainly increase the number of passengers visiting Saudi Arabia which provides a great opportunity for airline companies and flynas in particular.

“We are preparing for an upsurge in the number of passengers by enhancing our services and adding new destinations to serve the larger number of expected tourists,” he stated.

On the number of passengers, Almohanna said that flynas has transported more than 48 million passengers since its launch in 2007, adding that it expects to reach 50 million passengers by the end of the running year.

Furthermore, how is the low-cost carrier gearing up to accommodate the aforementioned ambitions?

New destinations

Flynas chief executive officer said the company increased the number of destinations to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for leisure, religious, and business travelers to fly into the Kingdom.

“We aim to support the achievement of the Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives related to tourism, Hajj and Umrah, and businesses,” he affirmed.

He further explained that flynas launched 11 new destinations in 2018 and 6 others for the summer of the current year, including Lahore, Islamabad, Algeria, Erbil, Baghdad, Sarajevo, Vienna, Batumi, Tbilisi, and Baku.

Fleet expansion

Almohanna stressed that flynas is continuously seeking to secure new deals and partnerships with major aerospace companies to keep abreast of new aircraft models and aviation developments.

“These efforts serve our expansion strategy and complement the objectives of Vision 2030 to develop the Saudi aviation sector,” he said.

Furthermore, he noted that the company inked a USD 10 billion order of 10 Airbus A321XLR at the Dubai Air Show, bringing up the total number of A320-type aircraft order to 90.

Read: Flynas buys 10 Airbus A321XLR for $10 bln

On flynas current fleet, Almohanna said it consists of 30 aircraft, including four A320neo type from a purchase deal of 120 aircraft from Airbus. The company will be receiving the fifth aircraft in December 2019.

Flynas has also added 2 new aircraft models for its subsidiary Nasjet, including the Airbus A319 which boasts a high operational efficiency, operates an 8-hour flight, and accommodate 30 passengers, he stated.

In addition, the fleet includes Falcon 900 aircraft that operates which enjoys advanced features and an array of entertainment services, according to flynas chief executive officer.

E-services

Almohanna said the company’s newly added payment options include STC Pay, available to STC subscribers in the Kingdom, as well as the global electronic payment platforms PayPal and Apple Pay.

He highlighted that flynas is continuously looking to provide added value services to its customers, in order to further facilitate the booking process for domestic and international flights.

Write to Christine El Cheikh at christine.elcheikh@argaamplus.com