flynas

flynas is a privately owned Saudi low-cost airline headquartered in Riyadh. It began life as Nas Air, one of two budget carriers licensed at a time when Saudi Arabian Airlines was the only airline in the country, and started flying on 25 February 2007. It took the flynas name in November 2013. Bander Al-Mohanna has been managing director and chief executive since February 2015, and the company describes itself as the first airline listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul).

Bases and network

Its operating bases are Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah. In August 2026 flynas said it operated 156 routes to more than 80 domestic and international destinations in 38 countries, with more than 2,000 flights a week, and that it had carried 110 million passengers since 2007. Its stated target is 165 destinations, tied to Saudi Arabia's national aviation strategy and Vision 2030 tourism goals. Religious travel features in its plans: the airline flies Hajj services and links part of its growth to the national Pilgrim Experience Program and access to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.

The network has not always grown in a straight line. In 2014 flynas tried medium- and long-haul flying with Airbus A330s leased from Portugal's Hi Fly, opening Jeddah–London Gatwick in April 2014 and Manchester in May. Manchester was dropped within three months, and in October 2014 the airline cancelled most of its longer routes, citing poor performance. It has since concentrated on the Gulf, the wider Middle East, North and East Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, South Asia and a handful of European cities.

Product

flynas sells four fare bundles: Light, Value, Plus and Premium. Light fares on most routes include cabin baggage only, while higher bundles add checked bags; Premium is a separate class with two checked bags. On the newer A320neos the airline has fitted Safran seats with device holders and USB charging, and its Premium Class seats have more pitch and a blocked middle seat. That puts flynas toward the hybrid end of the low-cost spectrum, while still charging separately for most extras.

Fleet

The airline flies Airbus aircraft only. A first order for 20 A320 family aircraft was firmed in late 2007; an order for 80 A320neo family aircraft followed in January 2017, with the first delivered in November 2018, and 30 more A320neos were ordered in June 2023. At the Farnborough Airshow in July 2026 it confirmed 25 further aircraft, five A330neo widebodies and 20 A321neos, taking firm Airbus orders to 235 plus 45 options. With a delivery announced on 13 August 2026 the fleet stood at 68: 62 A320neos, four A320ceos and two A330s.

Recent news

• September 2026: launch of direct Dammam–Karachi flights (11 September) and an expansion of flying to Syria (28 September).
• September 2026: admission exams for a "Future Pilots" programme aiming to enrol 300 trainees, as part of a goal of fully Saudi pilot ranks.
• Since February 2020 the airline has been a member of the International Air Transport Association.