Routes World 2024 Day 1: flyadeal CEO Interview

BAHRAIN — At Routes World, flyadeal (F3) CEO Steven Greenway delivered the final keynote interview for Day 1.

During the keynote, the CEO announced that F3 was looking into widebody options, and that the A330 and the Boeing 787 were under examination, as the airline would not need the capacity and range of airliners like the A350.

Both offer advantages, as Saudia (SV) already operates the Dreamliner, and as training would be minimized on the A330 thanks to F3’s extensive Airbus fleet. The airline hopes to communicate its final decision before the end of the year.

“80% of our flights are domestic, and 20% are international. By the end of next year, we expect that to shift to about 65% domestic and 35% international. We are continuing to grow domestically, with new destinations opening in the coming months, but our main focus is on international expansion."

"flyadeal will receive one aircraft every month on average. Our location in Saudi Arabia gives us access to markets within a five-hour flight radius, including Southeast Europe and the Indian subcontinent. We’ll be stretching our wings with the A320 and A321 for these routes.”

The airline will effectively take delivery of a monthly aircraft for the next four years. By 2028, flyadeal expects to fly a net fleet of 88 narrowbody aircraft, with the first A321neo expected in the first quarter of 2026.

Flyadeal’s immediate expansion focus is on underserved markets within the GCC, subcontinent, and Africa, rather than Europe. While Europe is on the radar, it’s not a priority due to the high taxes and complexity of operating in the region.

Regarding maintenance and engine overhaul, Mr. Greenway told the audience “Our product is very basic of the shelves, we do not have anything bespoke. This helps our delivery schedule and timeline. On the engine side, these are not staying on the wing for as long as the previous generation."

"We had 30 engine changes this year alone on a fleet of around 30 aircraft, for which we have a dedicated team. On-wing time is improving, and by 2026 we expect a significant improvement.”