Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Flynas, the Saudi low-cost airline, signed the world’s largest aircraft purchase agreement with Airbus to buy 30 wide-body A330neo aircraft and 130 single-aisle A320 family aircraft, a recent statement revealed.

With this deal, Flynas’ order book became one of the largest aircraft orders in the region with a total of 280 aircraft.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Farnborough Airshow by Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of Flynas, and Paul Meijers, Executive Vice President of Commercial Transactions at Airbus, in the presence of Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Ayed Aljeaid, Chairman of Flynas, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus.

This deal came as part of Flynas' strategy to reach new markets and operate longer flights, keep pace with the Saudi fast-growing aviation sector, and upscale fleet size to more than 160 aircraft by 2030.

The agreement is expected to contribute to ensuring sustainable growth in Flynas operations and destinations network, solidifying the airline’s position among the world's top low-cost airlines, and providing more innovative and diverse products for passengers.

Further, the deal will provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Saudi males and females, in alignment with Vision 2030.

Commenting on the deal, Al-Mohanna said: “This agreement to purchase 160 Airbus aircraft reinforces our determination to establish Flynas as a leading global low-cost carrier.”

He noted that this deal is the company’s first order for the wide-body A330neo with Airbus, with deliveries starting in 2027.

Meanwhile, Al-Duailej affirmed that the deal is pivotal for achieving the National Civil Aviation Strategy’s goal to connect the Kingdom with over 250 international destinations and increase passenger traffic to 330 million annually by 2030.

For his part, Scherer stated that the A330neo will “allow Flynas to further grow into widebody markets by building on the A320, benefiting from Airbus’ unique commonality.”