Airbus Adds Big A330neo & A321neo Order

Airbus has booked another strong order from flynas for its A321neo and A330neo as part of Saudi’s continued push to grow its fleet and meet ambitious growth goals.

The agreement sees low-cost carrier flynas purchase five more A330-900s and 20 A321neos, pushing its order backlog to 235 firm jets and strengthening Airbus’ role at the airline.

Announced at the Farnborough Airshow, the deal also means the Saudi carrier will recommit to running an all-Airbus strategy deeper into the future, and as it prepares for Expo 2030 and FIFA World Cup 2034, these jets will be pivotal.

A Bigger A321neo and A330neo Backlog

Under the new agreement, flynas will grow its Airbus A330neo commitment, choosing five more A330-900s, bringing its total commitment to 20 aircraft and making it the key widebody pillar.

Additionally, the airline has selected 20 more of the popular A321neo narrowbodies, growing the tally to 56. The total orderbook for Airbus jets is now over 200 jets, including firm orders and options, and even the A321XLR.

The airline is not unfamiliar with Airbus; it currently operates exclusively with this manufacturer, and its fleet comprises the A330-300, A320ceo, and its current largest reliance is on the A320neo. The A320neo commitment sees over 50 units, and the figure is rising rapidly as more than 100 jets are to be delivered by 2030.

Under growth expectations, the fleet will reach 160 and beyond by the end of the decade, putting flynas in a unique position as one of the largest operators in the Middle East with single-aisle jets at its disposal.

Now, the Farnborough order sees the backlog for remaining deliveries at 235; however, this can stretch to 280, as flynas still has options it can convert into firm orders should it, in the future, similarly to now, deem there to be a need.

The Saudi carrier, thanks to this and previous agreements, is becoming one of the most important customers in the region for Airbus and is now complemented by start-up Riyadh Air, which has all committed heavily to the products the manufacturer has put on offer.

How The New Airbus Jets Will Fit flynas

CEO and Managing Director Bander Almohanna has framed the latest contract signing with Airbus as part of flynas’ efforts to pursue growth sustainably and expand out of its six operations bases across the Kingdom.

With Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah playing vital roles in serving locations outside the Kingdom, these new aircraft will expand these bases; however, they will also underpin the launch of flynas Syria.

By selecting the Airbus A321neo, the view is that high-density regional and medium-haul routes across the Gulf and wider Middle East will receive the capacity. Furthermore, the single-aisle will become a stress reliever as demand continues to push for more seats on existing and new services.

Additionally, the A321neo capabilities mean that flying into North Africa, South Asia and certain parts of Europe that require a single-aisle over a widebody is possible. These advancements are on show for the world to see.

However, the A330neo will also be pivotal and represents a chance to expand long-haul capabilities deeper into Europe, Asia, and African markets where seat capacity is strained, and single-aisles are not an adequate solution.

These A330-900s, powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, have a range that covers virtually all of Europe, Africa, and a large portion of Asia from the Saudi hubs flynas operates out of, and do so non-stop.

flynas has previously indicated that it wants the A330neo seat capacity to be high; being low-cost, the high-density approach will look to ensure high-volume leisure and religious traffic can be served. The jet will enhance the long-haul and support the Kingdom’s bold tourism targets in the 2030s.