First Flyadeal Flight Lands in Karachi
Flyadeal, a budget airline from Saudi Arabia, has officially started its operations in Pakistan. Its very first flight from Riyadh arrived at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Saturday morning. The flight, F3-661, landed at 8:04 AM and was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute.
Flight Schedule to Karachi
The airline has shared its current flight schedule:
Riyadh to Karachi – every Thursday
Jeddah to Karachi – every Saturday
Growing Travel Demand Between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
Flyadeal’s CEO, Con Korfiatis, expressed excitement about entering the Pakistani market and hinted at more routes in the future. Farooq S. Ahmad, Head of Sales at Flyadeal, highlighted the large number of Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia and the popularity of religious tourism as reasons for strong travel demand.
“Saudi Arabia is probably the number one destination for Pakistanis,” Ahmad said. He explained that many people travel for Hajj and Umrah, while workers frequently visit their families back home.
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Affordable Fares and High Demand
While Flyadeal previously operated Hajj charter flights to Pakistan in 2024, this is the airline’s first scheduled commercial service. Despite being a low-cost airline, it serves passengers from all backgrounds. The first Karachi-Riyadh flight carried a full load of 186 passengers, and upcoming flights are already fully booked.
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Future Plans in Pakistan
Flyadeal is planning to expand to more cities, including Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot. Ahmad confirmed that the airline has already set up an office in Karachi and is working on a detailed plan to serve Pakistani travellers.
The entry of Flyadeal brings new affordable options for people traveling between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, including expatriates, businesspeople, and pilgrims.
