From 1 Jan 2026, Madinah Joins Bases In Dammam, Jeddah And Riyadh

Madinah, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA – flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline, has announced the Holy City of Madinah as its fourth and newest base in the Kingdom.

Two aircraft will be permanently positioned at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport from 1 January 2026. flyadeal currently has operational bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Domestic scheduled flights from Madinah will be launched to four cities across the Kingdom – the southwest coastal city of Jazan; Tabuk in the northwest; Al Hofuf in the country’s Eastern Province; and Abha in the southwestern mountainous region of Aseer province.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul will become the second international destination to be introduced direct from Madinah, with plans for further expansion beyond Saudia Arabia over the next few months. The additional flights will increase flyadeal’s existing capacity from Madinah by 30 per cent to 84 scheduled domestic and international services a week.

flyadeal’s current Madinah operations cover domestic services to Dammam and Riyadh, plus international flights to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The carrier also operates year-round Umrah services from several countries direct to Madinah, north of the Saudi port city of Jeddah.

Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “With scale comes opportunities. flyadeal has progressively increased its fleet size to 43 which allows us to now position aircraft across principal cities including Madinah where passenger demand simply demands our resources to be spread out. Madinah was a natural addition as a base given its prominence as the second holiest city in the Islamic world that draws pilgrims from all parts of the globe throughout the year.”

Almost 70 per cent of flyadeal’s 43-strong narrowbody fleet of Airbus A320s is based at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh; 11 aircraft are positioned at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah; and five at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport.

Captain Abdulaziz Bahri, flyadeal Chief Operating Officer, added: “The importance of Madinah cannot be underestimated. Our dedicated capacity will support continued growth in outbound travel and traditional year-round inbound religious movements. With increased frequencies comes greater choice so my operations team looks forward to building a highly sustainable set-up which can only go from strength to strength as we take delivery of more aircraft in the coming months and years.”

flyadeal’s growth strategy includes its fleet topping 100 aircraft by 2030 and network more than tripling to over 100 destinations within five years.

Tickets for the new routes are now on sale, bookable via flyadeal’s Mobile App, website www.flyadeal.com and through travel agents.

About flyadeal

On 23 September 2017, National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, flyadeal began operations with its historic maiden flight from Jeddah to Riyadh. A pioneer and innovator, flyadeal was the first regional low-cost airline to be launched only across digital distribution channels. Being the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia — both under the umbrella ownership of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation (Saudia Group) flyadeal was created for the price-conscious and tech-savvy consumer in mind in a market where 80 per cent of the Saudi population is aged less than 40 years and has at least two mobile phones.

flyadeal aims to stimulate travel, tourism and trade with its affordable, value for money everyday fares catering to leisure, religious, family and business travellers. Simplicity is key with an all-Economy Class cabin across flyadeal’s narrowbody fleet. With the Kingdom undergoing dramatic transformation through its Vision 2030 economic diversification drive, aviation and tourism are among the many sectors earmarked for dynamic growth. flyadeal is the fastest growing airline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, recognised for excellence in on-time performance that is consistently above the global industry average.

flyadeal operates a young fleet of Airbus A320s flying from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to destinations across Saudi Arabia with a growing international footprint in Europe, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. The airline has flown over 40 million passengers since its inaugural flight. In May 2024, flyadeal placed its biggest ever order for 51 aircraft – 12 A320neos and 39 larger A321neos – with a delivery schedule beginning in 2027. In addition, flyadeal will operate long-haul scheduled services from 2027 with the phased induction of 10 Airbus A330neo widebody aircraft ordered by Saudia Group in April 2025.

By 2030, flyadeal plans to operate hundreds of routes that will see its fleet and network triple in number to over 100 aircraft and destinations, respectively. flyadeal’s aggressive expansion drive makes the rapidly growing airline one of the country’s most desirable companies to work for.

For more information, please contact:
Updesh Kapur
Corporate Communications Department
Email: updesh.kapur@flyadeal.com
www.flyadeal.com