flyadeal Scales Up Madinah Operations With New Domestic and International Links

Saudi Arabia’s low-cost carrier flyadeal has significantly expanded its operations from Madinah, launching five new routes and increasing weekly flight capacity by 40 per cent as it develops the city into a key operational base.

The expansion raises the number of flyadeal destinations served from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport from three to eight, improving connectivity for residents, business travellers and pilgrims travelling to and from the holy city.

The newly launched routes include an international service to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, alongside four new domestic destinations: Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan and Tabuk. Until now, flyadeal’s Madinah network was limited to Riyadh, Dammam and Cairo.

With the additions, flyadeal now operates 88 flights per week from Madinah. Two aircraft have been permanently based at the airport, making it the airline’s fourth operational base after Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

To mark the launch, flyadeal management, led by Rogier van Enk, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, joined airport officials in a series of passenger-facing events celebrating the milestone.

Steven Greenway, flyadeal CEO, said the move signals the airline’s long-term commitment to Madinah. He noted that basing aircraft in the city provides flexibility to increase frequencies and introduce additional routes as demand grows, while reinforcing Madinah’s role as a major gateway for pilgrims and domestic travellers.

The expanded schedule also complements flyadeal’s year-round Umrah services, which connect Madinah directly with several international markets.

Rogier van Enk said the new routes are designed to serve both outbound demand from Madinah-based travellers and inbound religious tourism, while supporting broader connectivity goals under Saudi Vision 2030. He added that the airline will continue working with airport authorities to identify further growth opportunities.

flyadeal also increased frequencies on existing routes, with Cairo services now operating 11 times per week, flights to Dammam rising from 19 to 26 weekly, and services to Riyadh maintained at five flights per day.

The new domestic destinations extend flyadeal’s reach across the Kingdom, connecting Madinah to the Aseer mountains, the Eastern Province, the northwest and the southwest coast.

The airline currently operates a fleet of 44 Airbus A320 aircraft, with nearly 60 per cent based in Riyadh. Its long-term strategy targets more than 100 aircraft and over 100 destinations by 2030.

Tickets for the new Madinah routes are now available via the flyadeal website, mobile app and authorised travel agents.