flyadeal adds five routes from new Madinah base

flyadeal has rung in the New Year in emphatic style launching five routes from Madinah, its newest operational base in the Kingdom. The introduction of scheduled flights to Sabiha Gökçen in Istanbul and four domestic cities of Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan and Tabuk, takes the number of flyadeal destinations from Madinah’s Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport up from three to eight. Until now, flyadeal had served Dammam, Riyadh and the Egyptian capital Cairo from the Holy city.

The capacity hike represents a 40 per cent increase in the number of flyadeal operated flights out of Madinah to 88 a week, giving customers greater travel options. Two aircraft are now permanently positioned at the airport, which joins flyadeal’s three other operational bases of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We’ve steadily built capacity from Madinah, but this expansion of five new routes at the beginning of the year is a statement of intent from flyadeal to develop Madinah into one of our key operational bases. Having aircraft positioned in Madinah gives us the flexibility to quickly upgrade with more frequencies or add routes to a schedule which will continue to be built up giving our customers more choices and convenience of direct flights to travel within the Kingdom and beyond. Madinah was a natural addition as a base given its prominence as the second holiest city in the Islamic world and key gateway for pilgrims.”

Rogier van Enk, flyadeal Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, stated: “The additional routes aim to cater to both outbound travel for holidaymakers and business travellers living and working in and around Madinah, while also attracting inbound pilgrimages. My commercial team and I look forward to continue working with the authorities at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport to explore more opportunities building air travel connectivity in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”

The expanded schedule supplements flyadeal’s dedicated year-round Umrah flights from several countries direct to Madinah, north of the Saudi port city of Jeddah. flyadeal’s additional routes support an already high demand operation from Madinah. Daily Cairo flights are now being served 11 times a week; frequency on the Dammam route is up from 19 to 26 flights each week; and Riyadh maintains a five-times daily schedule.

The new domestic routes serve different parts of the Kingdom – southwest coastal city of Jazan; Tabuk in the northwest; Al Hofuf in the country’s Eastern Province; and Abha in the southwestern mountainous region of Aseer province.

Almost 60 per cent of flyadeal’s 44-strong narrowbody fleet of Airbus A320s is based at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh; 11 aircraft are positioned at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah; five at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport; and now two in Madinah.