flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline, has taken delivery of its newest and milestone 40th aircraft in a ceremony attended by employees flown specially to France for the handover.
Thirteen staff, including crew and competition winners chosen in a lucky draw from across the company, were given a behind-the-scenes tour of Airbus’ aircraft assembly plant in Toulouse, southern France, before taking the delivery flight back to Saudi Arabia.
The airline’s 29th A320neo, named Al-Faras (“The Horse“), is part of flyadeal’s 40-strong narrowbody fleet that also includes 11 of the A320ceo variant.
Captain Naif Almatrafi, director of operations, flyadeal, was handed over the keys to the airline’s latest flying asset by Airbus management before commanding the aircraft for the near six-hour flight to Jeddah. He was joined in the cockpit by co-pilot Lawrence Itani from Lebanon.
Steven Greenway, flyadeal CEO, said: “An incredibly proud moment for the flyadeal family to now operate a fleet of 40 aircraft in such a short time of less than eight years since our very first flight. It’s an amazing achievement, a great milestone, and one to build on as we continue to expand with vigor to meet our growth targets.
“What’s even more special is we flew a number of our employees to Toulouse for a memorable trip to see firsthand the hard work that goes into planning, building, assembling and delivering an aircraft. Boarding the aircraft as special passengers for the journey back to the Kingdom was a bonus dream flight to cherish. Thanks to our partners at Airbus for their hospitality in supporting the visit.”
Captain Abdulaziz Bahri, flyadeal chief operating officer, added: “Being the backbone of our fleet, the A320neos have demonstrated operational resilience, great performance efficiency and, importantly, contributed significantly to punctuality as reflected in our extremely consistent and above industry average on-time departure and arrival data, which only last month showed we were the world’s most punctual airline.”
flyadeal has rapidly developed into the Middle East’s fastest growing airline operating its young fleet from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam to more than 30 year-round and seasonal destinations across Saudi Arabia, and in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and South Asia. By 2030, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, flyadeal expects to triple its network to over 100 destinations and more than 100 aircraft.
As part of future fleet requirements, flyadeal placed its largest-ever order last year for 51 Airbus A320 family aircraft, comprising 12 A320neos and 39 larger A321neos, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.

The 5th PPP MENA Forum is set to take place from Sept. 10 to 11 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, solidifying its position as the region’s premier platform for public-private collaboration, investment, and policy transformation.
As the Middle East continues its ambitious journey toward economic diversification and infrastructure expansion, this year’s forum comes at a critical inflection point — bringing together more than 400 stakeholders from across government, finance, development, and industry.
Organized by Great Minds Event Management Company, the forum will welcome decision-makers, investors, project owners, EPC contractors, and sector specialists for two days of high-level dialogue and strategic networking. With participation from more than 150 government representatives and 40 global speakers, the event will explore the future of PPPs across core sectors including energy, healthcare, real estate, logistics, transportation, and digital transformation.
The 2025 edition will spotlight key sectors such as renewable energy, water, digital infrastructure, logistics, smart city planning, healthcare, and education — providing a well-rounded outlook on PPP models that create long-term impact. Special sessions will also be dedicated to women leadership in infrastructure, municipal-level partnerships, and global best practices for PPP governance.
Under the theme “Driving progress from MENA to the World,” the event will delve into emerging policies, procurement reform, investment strategies, and successful case studies that are shaping the next generation of PPPs in the region.

Nasser Massoud, MENA PPP Forum chairman, said: “As we approach the 5th MENA PPP Forum, the region stands at a pivotal juncture. With hundreds of PPP projects announced in pipelines, valued at billions of dollars, the momentum is undeniable.” 

At the same time, procurement policy changes require a novel approach to delivering these projects in an affordable and sustainable way. This forum will delve into examples of successes and challenges, while exploring the transformative changes in procurement policies that will impact the nature of partnerships and project structures going forward. It is an opportunity to harness collective expertise, drive innovation, and forge partnerships that will define the future of infrastructure and service delivery in the MENA region and beyond.”