Inaugural Flynas flight touches down at Manchester

XY 25 (above) arrived at 08:45am (UK local time) and was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute on touchdown, where it was met by Stephen Turner, the Commercial Director at Manchester Airports Group along with other senior executives. Passengers on board the inaugural flight were welcomed at the gate with a cake cutting ceremony.

The departure flight XY 26 was due to return to the Kingdom at 10:15 am (UK local time).

Commenting on the successful launch of the carrier’s second destination in the UK, flynas CEO Raja Azmi (right) - who is featured in the current editon of Arabian Aerospace magazine - said: “It’s incredibly satisfying to see our Global Flights Routes programme take off so successfully.

"The start of our non-stop flight operations to Manchester solidifies our intentions to build a strong offering for our customers to key European destinations and offers travelers access to an important Northern European travel hub.”

Aviation Commercial Director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), Stephen Turner said: “We are delighted to welcome flynas to Manchester for the first time and we’re keen to support their continuing growth from the UK. The Middle East is a key region of growth for us at Manchester and we know that passengers in the North West want to fly direct to Jeddah.

"This route will support better trade links between our two countries, as the North West already sees over £200m worth of trade with Saudi Arabia, but we know we can do more and this service with flynas will help to increase those levels.”

The Flynas Global Flight Routes program was launched in April 2014 and covers a number of new non-stop routes across Europe, Asia and Africa, all flying out of the carrier’s international hub in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In addition to Manchester, the international network includes flights to London Gatwick, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Casablanca.

The long-haul flights are being operated using Airbus A330 aircraft, part of a major fleet investment for flynas. The aircraft are set up in a two-cabin configuration which includes a new 12-seat business class cabin fitted out with a reclinable flat-bed. Passengers in both economy and business class are given generous luggage allowance and have access to smart in-flight entertainment and other onboard services.