Flynas will open a new operations base at Abha International Airport (AHB) in late March, expanding its domestic and international footprint in southern Saudi Arabia.
The LCC plans to open the new base on March 29, initially supporting flights to 11 destinations as part of a phased expansion. The move marks the airline’s first international services from Abha, where it currently operates only domestic routes.
International operations will include year-round routes to Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul and Addis Ababa, along with seasonal flights to Kuwait and Trabzon. Domestically, flynas already serves Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Tabuk from Abha. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows the airline serves Riyadh up to six times per day, Jeddah up to three times per day, Dammam 15X-weekly, Madinah 3X- weekly and Tabuk 4X- weekly.
“The launch of our new operations base in Abha represents a strategic investment designed to build an integrated national operating network,” flynas CEO and Managing Director Bander Almohanna says. “Beyond operational growth, the hub aims to stimulate economic and tourism development in the Aseer region, supporting the goal of transforming it into a year-round global tourist destination.”
Almohanna adds that the initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s National Civil Aviation Strategy and the objectives of Vision 2030—a plan that seeks to double passenger numbers to 330 million annually from more than 250 destinations worldwide.
According to OAG data, 12 airlines serve AHB in January 2026. Flynas holds a 23.1% capacity share, making it the airport’s third-largest carrier behind Flyadeal at 32% and Saudia at 31.9%. Other operators at the airport include Flydubai, Air Arabia and SalamAir.
Competition on some of the new international routes will be limited. The Abha-Cairo market is currently served by Air Arabia Egypt, Air Cairo and Nile Air, while flydubai operates the Abha–Dubai International route. However, none of the other planned international destinations—Istanbul, Addis Ababa, Kuwait or Trabzon—are currently served nonstop from Abha.
At the national level, flynas is offering about 854,000 domestic seats in January 2026, representing a 23.6% share of the market, compared with 48.4% for Saudia and 27% for Flyadeal. Internationally, flynas accounts for about 11% of outbound capacity from Saudi Arabia, with roughly 470,000 international departure seats this month.
The Abha base will become flynas’ fifth, joining existing bases in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah. The airline says the number of destinations served from AHB is expected to double as the base matures.
CAPA Fleet Database shows flynas currently operates 65 Airbus A320-family aircraft and two A330-300s, with 149 aircraft on order, including 134 Airbus narrowbodies and 15 A330-900s.
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