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Saudi Arabia’s low-cost carrier flyadeal is deepening its footprint in the Kingdom with three new domestic routes from its growing Madinah base, a move set to strengthen regional connectivity and broaden travel options for residents, tourists and pilgrims alike.
New routes extend Madinah’s reach across Saudi Arabia
Flyadeal will introduce nonstop services from Madinah to Jazan, Qassim and Arar from 1 March 2026, expanding the network operated from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport to 10 domestic and international destinations. The new flights build on the airline’s decision to establish Madinah as its fourth operational base, alongside Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, earlier this year.
The three cities add significant geographic diversity to the carrier’s map. Jazan, on the Red Sea coast in the southwest, is a fast-developing region and a natural gateway to the Farasan Islands. Qassim sits in the heart of the country and is known for agriculture and date farming, while Arar, capital of the Northern Borders Province, opens direct access to Saudi Arabia’s far north.
These services join existing Madinah routes to Riyadh, Dammam, Abha, Al Hofuf and Tabuk, as well as international flights to Cairo and Istanbul. Collectively, the expanded schedule will lift weekly departures from Madinah into the mid‑90s, giving travellers more choice of timings and destinations from one of the Kingdom’s most strategically important cities.
The additional routes also reflect flyadeal’s broader growth ambitions under Saudi Arabia’s aviation strategy, which aims to increase the number of destinations served by Saudi carriers and support the country’s target of tripling passenger volumes by the end of the decade.
Boost for pilgrim flows and religious tourism
Madinah, home to the Prophet’s Mosque and regarded as Islam’s second holiest city, is a critical gateway for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Flyadeal’s latest expansion is expected to ease domestic journeys for worshippers travelling between regional cities and the holy sites by offering more direct, low-fare options that bypass congested road corridors.
For pilgrims arriving from other parts of Saudi Arabia, same-day air connections into Madinah can significantly reduce travel times and provide more predictable itineraries during peak Hajj and Umrah seasons. The carrier’s year-round Umrah operations, supplemented by dedicated Hajj flights, will be supported by the higher number of departures and the wider choice of origin points.
By anchoring more aircraft and capacity in Madinah, flyadeal is also helping to spread visitor traffic more evenly across the Kingdom rather than concentrating it solely in Jeddah and Riyadh. This supports government efforts to develop Madinah as a stand-alone tourism and cultural destination, encouraging pilgrims to spend additional days exploring the city and surrounding region.
Industry observers note that increased domestic air links to and from the holy city can also encourage more off-peak religious travel outside the traditional peak periods, smoothing demand for airlines and airports while offering pilgrims more flexibility and potentially lower fares.
Supporting Vision 2030 and regional tourism growth
The decision to broaden Madinah’s domestic network aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans to diversify the economy, grow tourism and elevate the country into a global aviation hub. Improved connectivity between secondary and regional cities is seen as essential to unlocking the full potential of domestic tourism and business travel.
Jazan’s coastal attractions and proximity to the Farasan Islands position it as a gateway for Red Sea leisure tourism, which Saudi authorities are actively promoting. Direct flights from Madinah are expected to make it easier for both residents and international visitors transiting through the holy city to reach the southern coast.
Qassim, with its agricultural landscapes and traditional markets, is increasingly featured in domestic travel campaigns that highlight heritage and gastronomy, while Arar offers access to the Kingdom’s northern deserts and cross-border trade corridors. By linking these destinations with Madinah, flyadeal is effectively stitching together a more cohesive internal network that supports emerging tourism clusters.
For local economies, new flights typically translate into more visitor spending on hotels, restaurants, transport and tours. Regional officials are likely to view the added connectivity as a catalyst for small-business development and job creation in sectors ranging from hospitality to ground services.
Operational expansion at Madinah base
Flyadeal began the year by permanently basing two Airbus A320 aircraft at Madinah, lifting weekly capacity from the airport by around 40 percent and opening new services to destinations including Istanbul, Abha, Tabuk and Al Hofuf. The latest three routes are the next step in that build-up, signalling that the base is moving quickly from launch phase to a more mature, multi-destination operation.
The airline’s growth strategy foresees a substantial increase in fleet size over the coming years, enabling it to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030 with a roughly even split between domestic and international routes. Madinah is expected to play a prominent role in that plan, offering scheduling flexibility for early-morning departures and acting as a springboard for future cross-border services.
From an operational standpoint, concentrating more aircraft and crews in Madinah allows the carrier to optimise aircraft utilisation, introduce denser schedules on high-demand routes and react more nimbly to seasonal peaks. It also gives flyadeal room to experiment with new route pairings and frequencies as passenger data from the first months of base operations begins to flow in.
Airport stakeholders in Madinah are likewise investing in facilities and processes designed to handle growing volumes of domestic and international traffic, including pilgrims. The presence of a low-cost base carrier is expected to reinforce the airport’s role as a complementary hub to Jeddah for serving western Saudi Arabia.
Greater competition and choice for Saudi travelers
The new domestic routes from Madinah underscore the intensifying competition within Saudi Arabia’s aviation market, where multiple carriers are vying to capture a growing pool of price-conscious leisure and business travelers. Low-cost operators, in particular, are using secondary bases and point-to-point routes to differentiate their offerings and stimulate new demand.
For passengers, the practical impact is likely to be more frequent services, wider network coverage and, over time, more competitive fares. Residents of Jazan, Qassim and Arar will gain direct links to one of the country’s key religious and cultural centers, while travellers in Madinah will have additional options for short domestic breaks, family visits and business trips.
Analysts suggest that as flyadeal’s Madinah network matures, the airline could explore additional connections to nearby Gulf and South Asian markets, leveraging the base as a convenient transit point for both pilgrims and general tourists. Any such developments would further reinforce Madinah’s evolving role within Saudi Arabia’s air transport landscape.
For now, the three new domestic routes mark a clear statement of intent: Madinah is moving to the heart of flyadeal’s network, and travellers across the Kingdom can expect more choice in how they reach the holy city and beyond.