flynas, the Saudi national air carrier and leading low-cost airline in the Middle East announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus to purchase 20 of the latest A321XLR and A321LR aircraft to be received by 2023 with a total value of $2.4 billion (SR9 billion). The deal was announced on June 20 at The Paris Air Show.

Through this agreement, flynas targets the Umrah markets with a goal to transport around 5 million pilgrims annually, which will contribute to increasing the number of pilgrims in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to receive 30 million pilgrims annually, in addition to tapping into new markets and offering further options for passengers inside and outside the Kingdom.

flynas’ aircraft purchases have amounted to more than $10.9 billion since 2017.

flynas launched new destinations this year, including Vienna, Tbilisi, Batumi, Sarajevo, Baku and New Delhi. The carrier also increased the space between seats on domestic and international flights, which has also necessitated an increase in its fleet.