Flyadeal CEO On Engine Durability, Capacity Limits And What Comes Next

Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway discusses with James Pozzi how the low-cost carrier approaches maintenance operations—nearly all outsourced—as well as the importance of MRO partnerships and Saudi Arabia’s quickly expanding local MRO ecosystem.

Flyadeal is growing rapidly. How has your maintenance and engineering strategy evolved to support that growth while preserving a low-­cost operating model? A lot has changed in a relatively short period of time. We’re at 44 aircraft today and will be just over 100 within the next 3-4 years, which is very rapid growth by any measure. That growth is driven by Airbus delivery slots, and the pace brings both opportunity and pressure.

From a maintenance and engineering standpoint, our model is still recognizably a traditional low-cost carrier (LCC) model. The vast majority of capabilities are outsourced, particularly heavy maintenance tasks such as C-checks. We split that work across partners, including Joramco in Jordan, Lufthansa Technik in Sofia, [Bulgaria,] and Saudia Technic here in the kingdom.

What has changed is the industry context. Five or 10 years ago, the LCC model was almost uniform—everything was outsourced, with very little internalization. Today, there’s no single model anymore. COVID-19 and ongoing supply chain disruptions forced airlines to rethink resilience. You see carriers like Ryanair discussing the setup of engine shops, which would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

We haven’t fundamentally shifted our philosophy, but we have selectively brought certain capabilities in-house where it makes sense operationally. A good example is engine changes. We used to outsource that, but with the number of engine swaps we’re doing now, it became logical to internalize that capability. That’s probably the exception rather than the rule. Overall, we still ship most work out because, frankly, we’re blessed in this region with a strong ecosystem of MRO providers.

That abundance clearly exists on the airframe side. Is the same true for engine MRO in the Middle East? No—and that’s an important distinction. Engine MRO is far more constrained globally, not just in the Middle East. Engines simply don’t have the same durability as airframes, although that is improving over time. For us, operating CFM [International] Leap engines in Gulf conditions—hot, sandy environments—means we see significantly shorter on-wing life than European operators. We’ve historically been looking at around 4,000 cycles on wing, sometimes less. That’s challenging.

To give you a sense of the constraints, we currently ship engines for shop visits all the way to Kuala Lumpur. That introduces multiple bottlenecks: transportation time, shop capacity and test cell availability. Engine test cell infrastructure in particular hasn’t kept pace with the number of engines flowing through the system. So no, we’re not as well served on engines as we are on airframes. That’s why developments like Saudia Technic’s new multibillion-dollar MRO campus in Jeddah are so important. They’ve already opened the test cell, and once Leap certification is complete—which we hope will be within the next 1-2 years—that capability will be right in our backyard. That’s a game changer.

Are you seeing any technical relief on the horizon, particularly with Leap engines? Yes, cautiously. We’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. We now have four or five aircraft equipped with the Leap durability kit, delivered line-fit. Every engine that has come back from the shop over the past few months also has that kit installed. We expect that to give us a 25-50% improvement in on-wing time. If that materializes consistently across the fleet, it will have knock-on effects over the next 12-24 months, easing pressure on shop capacity. We’re not there yet, but progress is real. Combined with the new regional engine MRO capability coming online, the system should start to breathe again.

You’ve been vocal previously about the industry’s supply chain challenges. How have continuing industry-wide disruptions changed the way Flyadeal plans maintenance and manages inventory? The biggest behavioral change is inventory. Pre-COVID, the model was lean, with airlines holding minimal stock and the confidence that you could source parts within 24 hr., but that environment has changed. We’ve built a large new warehouse in Riyadh to accommodate significantly more inventory—rotables, generators, everything. Where an airline might once have kept one or two units on the shelf, now they will keep as many as they can get their hands on. Yes, capital is tied up, and parts might sit for a year, but continuity of operations matters more. What’s exacerbating the problem is industrywide hoarding. Everyone is doing this, further tightening the supply chain. Airlines are also far less willing to release inventory to competitors than they used to be. Informal part swaps, even between rivals, have largely disappeared. Overall, we’re not back to normal by any stretch.

What does Flyadeal look for in an MRO or OEM partner? Trust and relationships matter enormously. Aviation is a small industry—there’s only really one degree of separation. Of course, partners must meet safety, quality and regulatory standards, but that’s table stakes. What really matters is whether someone will step up when you’re in trouble. I’ll give you a concrete example. Through our long-standing relationship with Joramco, we resolved a serious issue with a wet-leased Airbus A330 that risked missing Hajj and Umrah [pilgrimage] flights. The operator couldn’t get a seat check done in time. We stepped in, leveraged our relationship and volume with Joramco, oversaw the check and got the aircraft back into service within weeks. That’s not normal transactional behavior. That’s partnership. When someone helps you out of a major operational hole, you remember it—and you reward it with continued business.

Narrowbody engine durability has been a major industry pain point. How does Flyadeal’s situation compare? Operating in the Gulf is inherently tougher on engines. We go through engines at roughly twice the rate of European carriers due to heat and sand. Historically, we were seeing around 4,000 cycles on wing. The durability kits are intended to push that toward 5,000-6,000 cycles, but we’re not there yet. We have squeezed significantly more life out of engines through discipline rather than solely through hardware. A few years ago, we were seeing 2,000-3,000 cycles, but by implementing stricter inspection regimes, using engine washing and extensive borescope work, and collaborating closely with CFM International, we’ve increased that to around 3,850 cycles. Digital monitoring also plays a huge role in this. We don’t apply a single, flat cycle limit across the fleet, as different engines have different caps based on condition and degradation data. Having that flexibility has been critical.

Digitalization and predictive maintenance are frequently mentioned. How embedded are these tools at Flyadeal?

They’re central to our operation. Last year, we were among the very few airlines in the region that didn’t ground aircraft due to engine issues, even during the peak summer flying period. That wasn’t luck—it was planning. We worked very closely with CFM and Safran using advanced predictive tools. This wasn’t a “push a button and [artificial intelligence] fixes it” scenario—it was daily, dynamic analysis. We knew exactly when to pull engines, when we could safely extend and how to sequence shop visits. As a result, we managed the summer peak without disruption.

Where do you see future technology investment focused? We fully digitized our maintenance and engineering records about two years ago, so that foundation is already in place. The next big focus is preparing for new aircraft types. We start taking A321neo aircraft this year and A330 aircraft from 2027. As a widebody aircraft, the A330 is a completely different animal—new engines, new systems, crew rest, premium cabins, even cargo humidification systems. Supporting that aircraft requires a different level of engineering capability. The investment now is less about new digital tools and more about building technical readiness—systems, people, training—to support a widebody operation.

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in aviation and MRO infrastructure. How do you view the development of local capability? It’s fundamental, and it’s being done properly. The Vision 2030 strategy isn’t just about building infrastructure—it’s about building human capital. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in training pilots and engineers, often overseas, and then bringing them back fully qualified. The same approach is being applied in MRO. You can build a billion-dollar hangar, but without skilled people, it’s meaningless. As part of the Saudia Group, we also have a unique advantage. Saudia Technic is part of the family. We’re involved in discussions, planning and capability development. That’s very different from a purely transactional third-party relationship. Will we put 100% of our maintenance in the kingdom? Probably not—we value having flexibility. Our intent is to maximize local support where it makes operational and economic sense.

FACT FILE

Flyadeal

Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

History: Founded in April 2016 by Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia as a low-cost subsidiary, Flyadeal commenced operations in September 2017 with an inaugural flight from Jeddah to Riyadh.

Fleet: Operates an all-Airbus fleet of A320ceos and Neos, comprising 44 aircraft as of January 2026. Flyadeal will begin receiving the first of 51 new A320neo-family aircraft (39 A321neos and 12 A320neos) in 2027. The airline will operate owned widebody aircraft with the first of 10 A330-900 also due to be delivered in 2027. As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, Flyadeal aims to operate a fleet of around 100 aircraft by 2030.

Network: The airline has flown more than 40 million passengers since its inception and serves more than 30 seasonal and year-round destinations from four bases in Saudi Arabia—Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah—to cities across the country, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia. The network is expected to triple by 2030.

Maintenance: Flyadeal outsources nearly all maintenance requirements to several partners, with only a handful of functions—such as basic line maintenance, A checks, borescopes and engine changes—carried out in-house. All heavy maintenance is outsourced.