Travelling on a budget? Then get to cozy with some of the popular low-cost carrier (LCC) airlines servicing the Middle East and Africa. Your pockets will thank you!
flynas
Saudi Arabian LCC flynas was established in 2007 and is currently headquartered in Riyadh. Operating over 1500 flights per week to 70 international and domestic destinations, flynas have transported over 78 million travellers to date. They are currently ranked the fourth best Low-Cost airline in the world, according to Skytrax, and have won the best LCC in the Middle East seven years in a row from 2017 – 2024.
Recently, flynas has been expanding its fleet and network, increasing the seat capacity for summer flights to Taif, Abha, and Al-Baha. It also became the first carrier to launch direct flights connecting Dammam and Al Najaf in Iraq.
flydubai
Launched in June 2009, Dubai-based flydubai is the second largest carrier by passenger numbers operating out of DXB airport. With a diverse team of over 5,700 from more than 140 countries, they operate a network of more than 125 destinations across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, the GCC, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia.
Most recently, they’ve expanded European destinations to become the first UAE airline to have direct routes to Basel, Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius. They have also added flights in Pakistan and Iran. At the 2024 MEA Business Achievement Awards, flydubai also won the ‘outstanding sector leadership and growth award’.
Air Arabia
Founded in 2003, Sharjah-based Air Arabia was the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, and it’s now the largest. Operating flights to more than 101 destinations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia, Air Arabia recently reported a net profit of AED 266 million in Q1 2024. They have also recently launched their first highly anticipated flights to Athens and Krakow in Poland. Flights to Basra in Iraq have also been resumed.
flyadeal
As a subsidiary of Saudia, flyadeal was founded in 2017 as a low-cost airline alternative in Saudi Arabia. Focusing on domestic and international routes within the Middle East, flyadeal celebrated 25 million passengers at the end of 2023. Having introduced new international routes in 2023, this year, flyadeal is focusing on its fleet by ordering 51 new aircraft in a landmark Airbus deal.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Known as ‘Europe’s greenest LCC,’ Wizz Air is a Hungarian carrier established in 2004. In 2020, it created a subsidiary to accommodate growing markets in the Middle East and established a regular presence at Zayed International Airport with flights under the name Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
Growing from two to 12 Airbus A321neo aircraft in a few short years, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi focuses on providing international and domestic connectivity to the Middle East. By the end of 2023, it had increased its available seat capacity by 135% to 3.7 million seats.
Jazeera Airways
As the first private-owned airline in the Middle East and the first to introduce the A320neo into its fleet in 2018, Jazeera Airways has been operating since 2004, making Terminal 5 at Kuwait International Aiport its home. Serving over 50 destinations with its fleet of Airbus A320 and A320neo aircraft, Jazeera announced it had serviced over 1.2 million passengers in Q1 2024. With its latest expansion of seasonal flights, it has also become the only carrier to fly directly from Kuwait to Batumi.
