Saudi Arabia’s new airline to target young, tech-savvy travellers

Reuters

Saudi Arabian Airlines’ low-cost carrier will start flights next month, aiming to carve out a new market among the country’s young, tech-savvy population in a region dominated by airlines from the UAE.
Flyadeal, a subsidiary of the state-controlled holding company that also owns national carrier Saudia, will offer domestic services from September 23 and begin international flights before mid-2018.
“We see enormous opportunity to offer more choice particularly out of another base,” Flyadeal Chief Executive Con Korfiatis said.
The airline will be a pure low-cost model, with passengers charged for meals and checked luggage, which though popular in other markets has not had major success in the Middle East beyond Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia.
Other regional budget carriers such as flydubai or the Saudi-based flynas attract travellers with hybrid models offering full service perks such as business class.
“We saw the low fares airline space as a white space for us to grow into,” Korfiatis told. “We are primarily looking to come in and stimulate rather than have to survive on taking from anybody else.”
The Jeddah-based airline has leased eight Airbus A320s from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. It took delivery of its first aircraft on August 23 and a second will arrive in a couple of weeks.
The fleet size will increase to
five A320s by the end of 2017
and all eight will be delivered by mid-2018.