Saudi low-cost carrier begins five weekly services, adding more than 7,400 seats a month between Mumbai and Riyadh
Saudi Arabian low-cost airline flyadeal has expanded its presence in India with the launch of a non-stop service between Mumbai and Riyadh, strengthening air connectivity between the two countries.
The new service began on October 3, making Mumbai the airline’s second Indian destination after Hyderabad, where flyadeal started operations in July. The Mumbai-Riyadh route will operate five times a week using Airbus A320neo aircraft.
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The service is expected to add more than 7,400 seats a month between the two cities
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The aircraft operating the route have 186 seats in an all-Economy configuration and are equipped with USB charging facilities
The flights also provide onward connections to several Saudi destinations, including Jeddah, Madinah, Dammam and Abha. Passengers can make these connections on a single booking, with baggage checked through to their final destination, according to the airline.
Sanjiv Kapoor, acting chief executive of flyadeal and executive vice-president for strategy at Saudia Group, said India remained a strategic market for the airline as travel between India and Saudi Arabia continued to grow.
The expansion comes as Gulf carriers increase their focus on India’s rapidly growing international aviation market. Kapoor said flyadeal was also examining potential opportunities in other Indian cities, including Lucknow, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad and Surat.
However, further expansion depends partly on bilateral aviation arrangements between India and Saudi Arabia. Kapoor said discussions were under way between the two governments on increasing the number of permitted destinations.
Flyadeal currently operates a fleet of 47 Airbus A320-family aircraft and serves more than 40 destinations. The airline has said it plans to expand its fleet and network substantially by 2030.
