DUBAI: flynas, Saudi Arabia’s budget airline, has marked a milestone with the inauguration of its new direct service between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The carrier will now operate three weekly flights on this route – Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays – connecting King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) and Shaikh Zayed International Airport.
The move strengthens flynas’ growing presence in the UAE aviation sector.
Passengers aboard the first outbound flight were greeted with special giveaways. A ceremonial event was held at KKIA in Riyadh to celebrate the route's launch, attended by officials from flynas and the Riyadh Airports Company.
flynas in UAE
As the largest air carrier linking Saudi Arabia and the UAE, flynas operates over 20 daily flights.
With this addition, flynas becomes the only Saudi carrier offering direct connections to all four major UAE airports from its operational bases in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah. The airline now operates more than 1,500 weekly flights to over 70 destinations in 30 countries.
flynas currently runs 139 routes and has transported over 80 million passengers since its inception in 2007. Its growth trajectory includes a target of reaching 165 destinations worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The launch supports the Kingdom’s National Civil Aviation Strategy, aiming to connect Saudi Arabia to 250 global destinations, accommodate 330 million passengers, and host 150 million tourists annually by 2030. It also contributes to the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP), facilitating access to the Two Holy Mosques.