Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost carrier, has kicked off the New Year with a significant network expansion, launching five new routes from Madinah, now designated as the airline’s newest operational base.
The newly added services include international flights to Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul and four domestic destinations—Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan, and Tabuk. With the expansion, flyadeal’s destinations from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport increase from three to eight. Until now, the airline had operated flights from the holy city to Riyadh, Dammam, and Cairo.
Capacity Boost Signals Strategic Intent
The route additions translate into a 40% increase in weekly flights from Madinah, taking flyadeal’s operations to 88 departures per week. Two aircraft have been permanently stationed at the airport, elevating Madinah to the airline’s fourth operational base alongside Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
To mark the expansion, airport officials joined flyadeal’s leadership team—led by Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Rogier van Enk—for a series of passenger-focused celebrations at the airport.
Madinah Becomes a Core Base
Flyadeal Chief Executive Officer Steven Greenway described the expansion as a clear statement of intent. He said the airline has steadily built capacity from Madinah, but the launch of five routes at the start of the year signals flyadeal’s ambition to develop the city into a major operational hub.
According to Greenway, basing aircraft in Madinah provides the airline with greater flexibility to add frequencies or introduce new routes at short notice, improving convenience for passengers traveling within the Kingdom and beyond. He added that Madinah’s status as the second holiest city in Islam and a key gateway for pilgrims made it a natural choice for expansion.
Supporting Pilgrimage and Domestic Travel
The expanded schedule complements flyadeal’s year-round Umrah services, which bring pilgrims directly to Madinah from multiple international markets. In parallel, the airline is strengthening domestic connectivity for residents, business travelers, and tourists.
Van Enk noted that the additional routes are designed to balance outbound travel demand with inbound pilgrimage traffic. He said flyadeal will continue working closely with airport authorities to explore further opportunities to enhance connectivity in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritises aviation and tourism as key growth sectors.
Increased Frequencies on Existing Routes
The new routes build on already strong demand from Madinah. Flyadeal has increased Cairo services to 11 flights per week, while frequencies on the Dammam route have risen from 19 to 26 weekly flights. Riyadh continues to be served with a robust five-times-daily schedule.
Domestically, the new routes extend flyadeal’s reach across the Kingdom, connecting Madinah to Jazan on the southwest coast, Tabuk in the northwest, Al Hofuf in the Eastern Province, and Abha in the mountainous Aseer region.
Fleet Deployment and Growth Ambitions
Flyadeal currently operates a fleet of 44 Airbus A320-family aircraft, with nearly 60% based at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Eleven aircraft are positioned in Jeddah, five in Dammam, and now two in Madinah.
Looking ahead, the airline plans to grow its fleet to more than 100 aircraft by 2030, while more than tripling its route network to over 100 destinations within five years. Tickets for the new Madinah routes are now available via the flyadeal mobile app, website, and authorised travel agents.
About flyadeal
Launched on Saudi National Day in 2017, flyadeal is the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia under the Saudia Group umbrella. The airline was built as a digital-first, value-focused carrier targeting a young, tech-savvy population.
Flyadeal operates an all-economy Airbus A320 fleet across Saudi Arabia and an expanding international network spanning Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Since launch, the airline has flown more than 40 million passengers and continues to position itself as one of the fastest-growing carriers in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East.
