From impressive performance results and fostering new partnerships to new aircrafts appealing to a growing tourism market and the introduction of hot new menu options, the Middle East’s aviation sector is on the pulse of improving its offering and services. Here’s what you might have missed over the last few days.

flyadeal shares impressive half year performance

flyadeal announced impressive 2024 half year performance figures with growth across its operations, including seat capacity (a 9% increase in seats to more than 5 million available), routes (an 8% increase in routes, totalling 75), fleet (a 12% increase in fleet operated to 33 aircraft), on-time performance (91% peak for on-time performance) and workforce (70% rise in headcount to 1,325 employees). The airline also made a record order for 51 narrowbody aircraft, inducted their 50th batch of cabin crew was inducted and had their first pilots graduate under their new cadet training programme.

flyadeal operates a fleet of 33 aircraft from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam servicing almost 30 destinations across Saudi Arabia, Middle East, Europe and North Africa. By the end of summer 2024, flyadeal expects to reach another key milestone, cumulatively flying 30 million passengers since launching operations in September 2017.

flynas doubles aircraft order volume to 280

flynas has placed a landmark order for 160 new Airbus aircraft, doubling its total orders to 280. The deal, including 30 A330neo and 130 A320 family aircraft, was signed at London’s Farnborough Airshow and aligns with Saudi Vision 2030. This expansion aims to connect Saudi Arabia with over 250 destinations and increase passenger traffic. Deliveries start in 2027, enabling flynas to explore new markets and offer more seat capacity, and products to passengers. 

Saudia and CVS make it official 

Saudia has been announced as the official airline partner for the China Visitors Summit (CVS) in the Middle East. The events will be taking place on 5-6 September (Dubai) and 9-10 September (Riyadh). The partnership will serve more than 120 of the Chinese buyers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China for the event. As golden sponsor, Saudia will also showcase directly to attendees about unique Saudi Arabia experiences.  

Turkish Airlines increases Chinese appeal, and adds free Wi-Fi

Turkish Airlines announced it will offer free, unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi across its entire fleet by the end of 2025. This new service is available to all passengers, and will be particularly appealing for business tourism. The carrier has also become the first airline to add the Chinese Yuan to its financing portfolio.

Turkish Airlines continues to grow in the Chinese market with increased flight frequencies and collaborations with strategic partners in the region. By working with leading aircraft financiers in the Chinese market, the airline is also enriching its financing portfolio in terms of both currency and geography. With its experienced aircraft financing team, the carrier has won more than 30 international aircraft finance awards in the last decade for its successful executions amounting to approximately USD$16 billion.

Etihad partners with Warner Bros. 

Warner Bros. World™ Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, has expanded its partnership with Etihad Airways. This collaboration will feature the world’s first Warner Bros. World branded aircraft, a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner decorated with iconic characters. Etihad will also introduce themed children’s packs for passengers up to 10 years old and a dedicated children’s lounge at Zayed International Airport. The partnership aims to enhance the travel experience, promoting Abu Dhabi’s attractions. 

Emirates doubles daily flights to Bali, introduces hot food pre-order service

Emirates will double its daily A380 flights to Bali from 1 September – 31 October this year, offering more than 2,600 weekly seats between the Indonesian island and the UAE. The airline has introduced a new service allowing Business Class passengers flying to Germany from any of the airine’s gateways to pre-order hot meals 14 days – 24hrs in advance. This initiative aims to enhance the in-flight dining experience and was first introduced on the Hamburg route. Proving popular, Emirates is now expanding the service to allow guests to choose from a wide selection of dishes, including 300 vegan options, which cater to religious, dietary, and nutritional requests.