flyadeal, Saudia Arabia’s low-cost airline, has chosen European and Asian seat manufacturers to equip its brand new two-class widebody fleet of Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
Just a year before the first of the airline’s 10 A330s is scheduled to enter service, flyadeal has confirmed a dual cabin configuration featuring 406 Economy and 14 Premium Economy seats.
Ergonomic reclinable seating specially designed for long-haul flights with extra seat and back support, adjustable headrests and in-seat USB Type-C charger ports together with warm ambient lighting, are significant features of the cabin interiors.
Italian firm Geven has been selected to install the Premium Economy cabin with its Comoda AQ seat, designed for medium to long-haul travel. With seven abreast seating across two rows in a 2-3-2 layout, each features a 38-inch pitch and 8-inch recline that focuses on enhanced personal space and passenger comfort.
Jiatai makes its Middle East debut with flyadeal choosing the Chinese company’s customised Economy Class seats. Highlighting cabin layout optimisation and comfort, each row features nine seats in a 3-3-3 configuration with a pitch of up to 30 inches.
With flying capability of over 11 hours, flyadeal will primarily operate the A330s between the Kingdom, and Asia, Europe and Africa. Aircraft deliveries are due to begin in summer 2027.
Sanjiv Kapoor, Executive Vice President Strategies at Saudia Group and flyadeal Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: “After almost 12 months working behind the scenes on specifications for our new A330s, flyadeal is now embarking on its widebody journey in preparation for entry into service next year. The interiors have been carefully chosen with passenger comfort, space, weight, durability, sustainability and ambience central to our decisions.
“We are delighted to build on the relationship with seat partner Geven for our new widebody Premium Economy cabin. And welcome Jiatai as their regional launch customer for the economy seats. At flyadeal we like to do things differently, hence our unique approach as a low-cost airline entering the widebody market with our own dedicated aircraft and continued focus on maintaining competitiveness and enhancing the customer experience.”
Alberto Veneruso, Geven Managing Director, added: "We are thrilled to support flyadeal at such a pivotal moment as they introduce their first Premium Economy product. Being part of this milestone allows us to bring our innovative Comoda AQ seats to passengers who expect comfort, convenience, and quality on every journey. It’s an honour to stand alongside flyadeal as they take this important step in enhancing their passenger experience."
Jingfeng LIU, Jiatai Chairman, explained: "We are honoured to partner with flyadeal on this significant programme. This collaboration not only validates Jiatai's product reliability and innovation capabilities but also represents a pivotal step in the international expansion of Chinese aircraft seating brands. We are committed to delivering exceptional performance and comprehensive aftermarket support to facilitate flyadeal's widebody fleet development."
The seats selection was part of a raft of flyadeal announcements at Aircraft Interiors – the airline industry’s annual showcase of cabin innovation – being held in the German city of Hamburg this week.
French company Safran Cabin will provide customised widebody galleys ensuring cabin crew have a spacious working environment preparing for their inflight service.
Swiss aircraft interior furnishings manufacturer Lantal Textiles extends its relationship with flyadeal as provider of carpets and curtains for the A330s. Lantal is already the supplier for the airline’s 51-strong new narrowbody fleet which is also due to be delivered from next year.
flyadeal has rapidly developed into the Middle East’s fastest growing airline, operating a young fleet of 46 Airbus A320 family aircraft from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh, Madinah and Dammam to more than 40 seasonal and year-round 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 more than double its network and fleet to over 100 destinations and aircraft respectively. -TradeArabia News Service