By Rafiq Vayani
JEDDAH: flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline, has taken delivery of its first new aircraft of 2026 – an Airbus A320neo – boosting the carrier’s fleet to 45 all-narrowbody passenger jets.
Arriving in Jeddah direct from Airbus’ assembly plant in Toulouse, the aircraft becomes the airline’s 34th A320neo, adding to the 11 A320neo variant that make up flyadeal’s total fleet.
The delivery also marks a move away from the traditional naming of every aircraft after a constellation star. Named Al-Saqr (falcon) after the national bird of Saudi Arabia, it heralds the beginning of flyadeal’s new narrowbodies proudly adorning the names of different birds in the Kingdom. The falcon represents strength, courage, freedom and pride, deeply embedded in Saudi culture, reflecting the qualities so ingrained in the values of flyadeal.
Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “It’s always a good feeling celebrating a first. Our latest aircraft is the start of flyadeal’s push towards the half-century fleet mark, a significant milestone for such a young airline. As more aircraft are delivered to flyadeal this year, we’re able to increase frequencies on existing routes and deploy on new ones to keep up our growth momentum.”
Captain Abdulaziz Bahri, flyadeal Chief Operating Officer, added: “Being an all-A320 operator, flyadeal has shown confidence in this wonderful aircraft that supports our flying requirements domestically, regionally and beyond with low cost and fuel efficiency, fulfilling our key operational needs. Just six months ago, we took delivery of our 40th aircraft. We’re now up to 45 and continue to hire more pilots, including those joining through the government-backed graduate cadet training programme that we began participating in last year.”
Hazar Hafiz, flyadeal Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, explained: “Saudi Arabia is home to more than 500 bird species on one of the world’s most important migration routes, with millions of birds crossing the Kingdom every year. Birds naturally represent movement, travel, and freedom—values that strongly align with our brand. By associating ourselves with this rich and authentic narrative, flyadeal creates a deeper emotional link with our customers.”
Featuring a spacious cabin of 186 all-Economy Class seats in a 3 – 3 configuration, flyadeal’s A320s have interiors of the highest standards and specifications for a low-cost airline. These include leather seats with a custom diamond stitch pattern and embossed logo together with sizeable overhead bins.
flyadeal has rapidly developed into the Middle East’s fastest growing airline operating its young fleet from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Madinah and Dammam to more than 30 seasonal and year-round destinations across Saudi Arabia, and in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and South Asia. By 2030, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, flyadeal expects to triple its network to over 100 destinations and more than double its fleet to 100 aircraft.
