Latest news with #StevenGreenway
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia to Resume Direct Flights to Damascus Through National Airlines
Saudi Arabia is preparing to resume direct flights to Damascus through its national carriers Flynas and Flyadeal, signaling a renewed connection with the Syrian market. The move is expected to serve a growing demand from travelers flying for tourism, business, Hajj, and Umrah. Both airlines announced on Wednesday that they are finalizing preparations to launch these routes. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway confirmed that his airline had secured official approvals last week and plans to begin direct service to Damascus in July. Similarly, Flynas is preparing to operate flights to Syria in the coming weeks as part of its broader expansion strategy. This development is in line with Saudi Arabia's National Civil Aviation Strategy, which aims to link the Kingdom to 250 international destinations, handle 330 million passengers annually, and attract 150 million tourists by 2030. It also supports the 'Guests of God' program, designed to ease access to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Flynas has been rapidly expanding its fleet, recently receiving its fourth Airbus A320neo of the year. The airline now operates 57 aircraft of this model within a fleet of 63 Airbus planes, including A320ceo and A330neo wide-body jets. In 2023, Flynas signed a major deal with Airbus to purchase 160 new aircraft, including 30 wide-body A330neos and 130 single-aisle aircraft from the A320 and A321 families. This brought the airline's total orders to 280 aircraft over seven years - one of the largest in the region - positioning it to meet the projected growth in Saudi aviation under Vision 2030. Aviation analyst Moataz Al-Meera described the resumption of flights to Syria as a strategic decision, not just an operational one. He noted that reconnecting with Damascus strengthens Saudi Arabia's role as a regional air hub and opens access to a market that once saw over a million travelers annually. Estimates suggest that up to 60% of that traffic could be recovered in the first year. Al-Meera also highlighted the tourism impact, pointing out that direct routes from Syria could boost visitor numbers to Saudi Arabia, especially with the Kingdom's growing offerings in tourism, Umrah, and entertainment. He added that this expansion supports the broader goals of Saudi Arabia's transport and logistics strategy, enhancing global connectivity, improving air travel efficiency, and increasing the sector's GDP contribution to 10%.
Tourism Breaking News
4 days ago
- Business
- Tourism Breaking News
flyadeal and Cebu Pacific announce strategic partnership
Post Views: 41 flyadeal and Cebu Pacific signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore joint strategic commercial initiatives. The historic agreement covers a wide range of opportunities in commercial cooperation and support in aircraft maintenance and engineering. The first phase of the MoU will see flyadeal take delivery of two Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement for the upcoming summer peak flying season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reciprocally, Cebu Pacific is examining wet- leasing flyadeal A320s during the busy winter period in southeast Asia at the end of the year. The agreement was signed at a joint Press Conference held in Manila today at which flyadeal Chief Executive Officer Steven Greenway and Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs outlined plans for a phased cooperation beginning with the wet-lease arrangement. Talks between the two airlines began earlier this year following a visit by Greenway and a flyadeal delegation to Manila to learn more about Cebu Pacific's A330-900neo operations. flyadeal, the Middle East's fastest growing airline, recently announced plans to venture into the long-haul market with an order for 10 A330 widebodies to be deployed between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and across southeast Asia from 2027. Greenway said: 'Today's agreement is momentous as it marks flyadeal's first ever strategic airline partnership. It was clear and obvious that flyadeal could learn a lot from Cebu Pacific's experience of low-cost long-haul operations given we will be inducting the same A330-900neos into our fleet in just two years' time. There are great benefits in sharing technical knowledge, training and best practice in preparation for our A330 induction and, of course, we are both A320 operators. 'This was the starting point for wide-ranging commercial discussions covering a broad range of areas including more immediate needs of wet-leasing aircraft for flyadeal's busy upcoming summer season. A win, win situation all round to bring in Cebu Pacific aircraft during our peak period and vice versa for Mike and his team to explore taking our aircraft for their winter peak later this year.' Szucs explained: 'With Cebu Pacific's growing fleet, we seek to maximse the potential of our increased capacity through all months of the year. The utilisation of our capacity by other carriers during our lean season is a way of achieving that. 'This partnership with flyadeal highlights Cebu Pacific's growing capability to support international carriers through wet leasing and broader operational collaboration It diversifies our revenue streams and further expands Cebu Pacific's presence beyond the Asia Pacific region.' Both CEOs said their respective teams will meet frequently to map out the joint commercial plans over the next few months. Manila-based Cebu Pacific, Asia's first low-cost airline, has built a strong network within the Philippines, across the region and developed an ever-growing long-haul presence since its inaugural flight almost 30 years ago. Just seven years old, Jeddah-based flyadeal is predominately a Saudi Arabian domestic scheduled airline operating 38 narrow body Airbus A320s, a fleet set to triple in size to over 100 aircraft within five years that includes its new widebody operations.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Cebu Pacific, Flyadeal Forge Strategic Partnership for Wet Lease, Commercial Cooperation
@CebuPacificAir #LetsFlyEveryJuan MANILA, Philippines , May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cebu Pacific (CEB), Philippines' leading carrier, and flyadeal, Saudia Arabia's fast growing low-cost airline, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore joint strategic commercial initiatives. The historic agreement covers a wide range of opportunities in commercial cooperation and support in maintenance and engineering. The first phase of the MoU will see flyadeal utilize two of Cebu Pacific's Airbus A320 aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement for the upcoming summer peak flying season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reciprocally, Cebu Pacific is examining wet-leasing flyadeal A320s during the busy winter period in Southeast Asia at the end of the year. The agreement was signed at a joint press conference held in Manila today at which flyadeal chief executive officer (CEO) Steven Greenway and Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs outlined plans for a phased cooperation beginning with the wet-lease arrangement. Talks between the two airlines began earlier this year following a visit by Greenway and a flyadeal delegation to Manila to learn more about Cebu Pacific's A330-900neo operations. flyadeal, the Middle East's fastest growing airline, recently announced plans to venture into the long-haul market with an order for 10 A330 widebodies to be deployed between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and across southeast Asia from 2027. Greenway said: "Today's agreement is momentous as it marks flyadeal's first ever strategic airline partnership. It was clear and obvious that flyadeal could learn a lot from Cebu Pacific's experience of low-cost long-haul operations given we will be inducting the same A330-900neos into our fleet in just two years' time. There are great benefits in sharing technical knowledge, training, and best practice in preparation for our A330 induction and, of course, we are both A320 operators. "This was the starting point for wide-ranging commercial discussions covering a broad range of areas including more immediate needs of wet-leasing aircraft for flyadeal's busy upcoming summer season. A win, win situation all round to bring in Cebu Pacific aircraft during our peak period and vice versa for Mike and his team to explore taking our aircraft for their winter peak later this year." Szucs explained: "With Cebu Pacific's growing fleet, we seek to maximize the potential of our increased capacity through all months of the year. The utilization of our capacity by other carriers during our lean season is a way of achieving that." "This partnership with flyadeal highlights Cebu Pacific's growing capability to support international carriers through wet leasing and broader operational collaboration. It diversifies our revenue streams and further expands Cebu Pacific's presence beyond the Asia Pacific region." Both CEOs said their respective teams will meet frequently to map out the joint commercial plans over the next few months. About Cebu Pacific Cebu Pacific is the Philippines' largest carrier both domestically and internationally with 37 domestic destinations, with hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, and Davao. It also currently operates flights to 26 international destinations, spanning across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Cebu Pacific currently operates a fleet of 98 aircraft—the youngest jet fleet in the Philippines—including a diversified mix of Airbus A320, A321, A330, and ATR aircraft. In 2024, CEB signed a landmark purchase agreement with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, for up to 152 A321neo aircraft, equipped with Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines. This acquisition --- which has a minimum commitment of 70 aircraft --- is the largest in Philippine aviation history, valued at approximately USD $24 billion (PHP 1.4 trillion) based on list prices for the entire 152 aircraft order. This purchase agreement reflects CEB's unwavering optimism for the future of air travel and steadfast commitment to meeting the evolving needs of passengers. CEB was awarded as the Best Low-Cost Airline Brand in the Philippines in 2023 by World Economic Magazine, and the Best Airline in 2024 by Route Asia Awards. CEB is also a recognized ESG leader in both the Philippines and the Global Airline Industry. It also received a Gold Rating for Environmental Sustainability from Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in 2023 and achieved an MSCI ESG rating of 'AA' in 2024. Only two companies in the Philippines and only 11 airlines in the world achieve this distinction. CEB remains dedicated to providing affordable and accessible flights, enabling more travelers to connect with people, explore new places, and seize opportunities across the Philippines and beyond. 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 A320 narrowbody aircraft 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 35 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 2026. 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.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi carrier flyadeal to start flights to Syria, CEO says
MANILA: Saudi budget carrier flyadeal could start flying to Syria as early as July, CEO Steven Greenway said on Wednesday, joining a handful of foreign airlines introducing or resuming flights to the country as sanctions against it are scaled back. 'We got approvals last week to fly to Syria ... We're getting ready to hopefully launch that in July,' Greenway told Reuters in Manila, where he announced a deal to lease two jets from Philippine budget airline Cebu Pacific. Many airlines pulled out of Syria during its 14-year civil war. International flights also stopped for a period after rebels toppled former President Bashar Assad in December 2024, but then resumed with services currently offered by Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Royal Jordanian as well as Syrian carriers. UAE-based FlyDubai has said it will resume services from June. US President Donald Trump's administration last week issued orders effectively lifting sanctions on Syria. Trump said he did so at the behest of Saudi Arabia's crown prince. EU foreign ministers also agreed last week to lift economic sanctions on Syria.
Filipino Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Filipino Times
PH's Cebu Pacific, Saudi Arabia's flyadeal forge Strategic Partnership for Wet Lease, Commercial Cooperation
Cebu Pacific (CEB), Philippines' leading carrier, and flyadeal, Saudia Arabia's fast growing low-cost airline, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore joint strategic commercial initiatives. The historic agreement covers a wide range of opportunities in commercial cooperation and support in maintenance and engineering. The first phase of the MoU will see flyadeal utilize two of Cebu Pacific's Airbus A320 aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement for the upcoming summer peak flying season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reciprocally, Cebu Pacific is examining wet-leasing flyadeal A320s during the busy winter period in Southeast Asia at the end of the year. The agreement was signed at a joint press conference held in Manila today at which flyadeal chief executive officer (CEO) Steven Greenway and Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs outlined plans for a phased cooperation beginning with the wet-lease arrangement. Talks between the two airlines began earlier this year following a visit by Greenway and a flyadeal delegation to Manila to learn more about Cebu Pacific's A330-900neo operations. flyadeal, the Middle East's fastest growing airline, recently announced plans to venture into the long-haul market with an order for 10 A330 widebodies to be deployed between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and across southeast Asia from 2027. Signing of Strategic Partnership Agreement and Media Briefing Greenway said: 'Today's agreement is momentous as it marks flyadeal's first ever strategic airline partnership. It was clear and obvious that flyadeal could learn a lot from Cebu Pacific's experience of low-cost long-haul operations given we will be inducting the same A330-900neos into our fleet in just two years' time. There are great benefits in sharing technical knowledge, training, and best practice in preparation for our A330 induction and, of course, we are both A320 operators. 'This was the starting point for wide-ranging commercial discussions covering a broad range of areas including more immediate needs of wet-leasing aircraft for flyadeal's busy upcoming summer season. A win, win situation all round to bring in Cebu Pacific aircraft during our peak period and vice versa for Mike and his team to explore taking our aircraft for their winter peak later this year.' Szucs explained: 'With Cebu Pacific's growing fleet, we seek to maximize the potential of our increased capacity through all months of the year. The utilization of our capacity by other carriers during our lean season is a way of achieving that.' 'This partnership with flyadeal highlights Cebu Pacific's growing capability to support international carriers through wet leasing and broader operational collaboration. It diversifies our revenue streams and further expands Cebu Pacific's presence beyond the Asia Pacific region.' Cebu Pacific, Flyadeal Forge Strategic Partnership for Wet Lease, Commercial Cooperation Both CEOs said their respective teams will meet frequently to map out the joint commercial plans over the next few months.
