Low-cost airline Flynas will launch regular flights between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure.
Starting on June 11, Flynas’ jets will fly from Kyiv Boryspil International Airport to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh three times a week — on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. An economy class flight will cost over $450 and premium class will cost up to $1,080.
The Saudi airline’s arrival means Ukrainians can travel directly to Riyadh for the first time, instead of having to transfer at Istanbul, Doha or Dubai.
Although Saudi Arabia is not the most popular travel destination among Ukrainians, regular flights between countries will spark tourists’ interest, experts believe.
“Direct low-cost flights always lead to an increase in passenger traffic,” said Pavlo Hryhorash, the chief executive of the Ukrainian Travel Agencies Association.
According to Hryhorash, Saudi Arabia was closed to tourists for a long time and even avid travelers couldn’t explore it. Now, it’s only a five hour flight away.
Despite branding itself as a low-cost airline, Flynas is on the expensive side for many Ukrainians who are used to paying up to $200 for a one-way ticket to Turkey or Egypt, the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
Aviation expert Kyryl Novikov expects prices to be lower for tickets bought two or three months in advance.
Regular flights between the two countries will also boost economic relations with Saudi Arabia, Novikov added. “Many Saudis will be interested to come to Ukraine and work with local security businesses, the aviation industry, manufacturing and investment,” he told the Kyiv Post.
Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov from the Voice party said that visitors from Saudi Arabia can bring millions of dollars to the local budget every year. According to Umerov, Saudis usually stay in Ukraine for a week and spend up to $3,000 here. This opens many opportunities for business and investment.
“The Persian Gulf is also interesting to us as a hub through which we will work with the rest of the countries — Iran, Iraq and East Africa. These are large markets, where Ukraine can showcase its products in the future,” Umerov said.
Ukrainian Minister of infrastructure Olexander Kubrakov said that Ukraine will keep adding direct flights to more countries to become “a large international airline hub.” The agreement with Flynas is a step in that direction, he said.
Flynas is one of the top low-cost carriers in the Middle East, with a fleet of 30 aircraft. In 2017, it signed an $8.6 billion deal with plane manufacturer Airbus to purchase 120 new aircraft.
“The company is growing drastically,” Novikov said. “A large fleet indicates that its business is doing well.”
