Flyadeal expands Madinah hub to strengthen domestic pilgrimage, connectivity 

SAUDI ARABIA – Flyadeal has accelerated its growth from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport with the launch of three new domestic routes from March 1, 2026, reinforcing Madinah’s strategic importance as both a religious gateway and a growing regional aviation hub. 

The low-cost carrier will introduce non-stop flights connecting Madinah to Arar, Qassim, and Jazan, expanding its direct network from the Holy City to 10 domestic and international destinations. 

 As a result, the airline will increase its total weekly frequencies to 94 flights, significantly enhancing mobility for pilgrims, business travellers, and regional tourists. 

This expansion comes just two months after flyadeal designated Madinah as its fourth operational base, alongside its established hubs in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. 

Steven Greenway, Chief Executive Officer of flyadeal, said: “Two months ago, flyadeal established Madinah as our fourth operational base in Saudi Arabia to provide consumers with greater connectivity to and from the Holy City.”  

“We increased our capacity by 40% and are now adding a further three routes to quickly grow to 10 domestic and international destinations from Madinah that reflects our commitment to offer more choice and diversity,” he added. 

Beyond improving domestic travel, the expanded network will strengthen infrastructure supporting Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage traffic, which continues to drive major investment across aviation, hospitality, and tourism sectors. 

This improved connectivity enables smoother travel flows, benefiting hotels, tour operators, and hospitality providers that rely heavily on pilgrimage-driven demand 

The airline’s rapid expansion is underpinned by an all-Airbus A320 fleet and an ambitious long-term plan to grow to 100 aircraft and more than 100 destinations by 2030. This strategy positions the Kingdom as a global tourism and aviation leader. 

Ultimately, flyadeal’s Madinah expansion signals more than network growth, it reflects improved regional access, supports Saudi Arabia’s religious tourism economy, and reinforces flyadeal’s rapid expansion strategy as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aviation and tourism growth plans. 

This further strengthens the integration of aviation, tourism, and hospitality, unlocking new economic opportunities while enhancing access to one of the world’s most important religious destinations.  

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