Flyadeal looks to expand India network
Mumbai: Flyadeal, a Saudi low-cost airline, is exploring the possibility of expanding its network in India to cities such as Lucknow, Kolkata, and Delhi, capitalizing on the increasing travel demand between the two nations. Despite the impact of rising fuel costs and destination restrictions on expansion plans, Flyadeal aims to serve at least six Indian cities, according to acting chief executive Sanjiv Kapoor.
The airline commenced operations to Hyderabad in July and added Mumbai to its route on October 3, with the Mumbai service handling over 7,600 seats per month between the two cities. Kapoor anticipates that Flyadeal will operate flights to a half-dozen Indian cities, as the airline prepares to receive aircraft with extended ranges.
Currently, Flyadeal holds rights to serve eight Indian cities under a bilateral agreement between India and Saudi Arabia. Initial operations have demonstrated strong demand, with a Mumbai-Riyadh flight carrying 170 passengers on an aircraft with a seating capacity of 186, and load factors on the Hyderabad route reaching high 80% levels.
Kapoor acknowledged that fuel price fluctuations pose challenges in balancing fares and operating costs, but he remains optimistic about the potential for increasing yields in the future.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
