- How is flyadeal preparing to meet the growing travel needs of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims?
Saudi Arabia continues to welcome growing numbers of pilgrims from around the world, and flyadeal is committed to supporting the Kingdom’s ambitions to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques and enhance the overall pilgrimage experience.
Our preparations begin well ahead of each Hajj season, with comprehensive operational planning covering flight capacity, aircraft deployment, ground handling, staffing and coordination with relevant authorities and airport partners. We also place considerable emphasis on ensuring our teams are equipped to manage the specific requirements of Hajj and Umrah travel, recognising that many pilgrims are travelling for a deeply significant religious experience.
The scale of our contribution continues to grow. During the 2026 Hajj season, flyadeal aimed to transport more than 100,000 pilgrims, compared with 68,448 in 2025. This reflects our increasing role in facilitating pilgrimage travel and our commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s broader religious tourism objectives.
2. Are you planning to add routes or increase flight frequency to serve pilgrims from more destinations?
Expanding connectivity across Saudi Arabia and internationally remains an important part of flyadeal’s growth strategy. We continuously assess opportunities to introduce new destinations and increase frequencies on existing routes, taking into consideration passenger demand, operational readiness and market opportunities.
Our growing network provides pilgrims with more convenient access to the Kingdom, particularly through our key gateways of Jeddah and Madinah, while our domestic connectivity also supports travel between major Saudi cities.
India, Pakistan and other markets with significant pilgrimage travel demand remain important considerations in our network planning. As we continue expanding our fleet and route network, we will look at opportunities to strengthen connectivity from additional international markets and make travel to the Holy Cities more accessible.
3. What services or improvements is flyadeal introducing to make the journey easier for pilgrims?
For pilgrims, the journey is about much more than getting from one destination to another. It is about making an important spiritual journey as comfortable, accessible and straightforward as possible.
We focus on several aspects of the travel experience, beginning with convenient flight schedules, accessible fares and a growing network that offers pilgrims greater flexibility when planning their journeys. Operationally, our teams work closely with airport partners to support efficient passenger processing, boarding and baggage handling, particularly during the peak Hajj period when passenger volumes are significantly higher.
We also recognise that pilgrims may have different travel requirements, including elderly passengers and those requiring additional assistance. Our ground operations teams are trained to support passengers with varying needs, while our focus on operational coordination helps ensure a smoother experience throughout the airport journey.
flyadeal will continue to offer its passenger baggage-free service, an initiative introduced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to facilitate the movement of pilgrims. Initially offered to selected passengers, the service has now been standardized and has been provided to all pilgrims as part of established procedures over the past two years.
4. How is flyadeal working with travel companies, government agencies and other partners to support Hajj and Umrah travel?
Collaboration is fundamental to the successful movement of millions of pilgrims. Delivering a smooth Hajj and Umrah travel experience requires close coordination between airlines, government authorities, airports, ground service providers, travel companies and other stakeholders across the pilgrimage ecosystem.
At flyadeal, we work with relevant Saudi authorities and airport partners to align operational plans, manage passenger flows and ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place throughout the pilgrimage seasons. Our relationships with travel companies and other industry partners are equally important in helping us understand market requirements, coordinate travel arrangements and provide pilgrims with accessible air travel options. During Hajj in particular, coordination becomes even more critical given the concentrated movement of large passenger volumes within
specific timeframes. Effective communication, advance planning and operational readiness across all stakeholders are essential to delivering a successful season.
5. What are flyadeal’s priorities for expanding its role in religious tourism over the next few years?
Our ambition is to play an increasingly significant role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s religious tourism sector, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s ambition to welcome greater numbers of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Our priorities centre on three key areas: expanding connectivity, strengthening operational capacity and continuously improving the passenger experience.
We will continue growing our network and fleet, creating more opportunities to connect pilgrims from international markets with Jeddah and Madinah, as well as improving domestic connectivity within the Kingdom. Also, we will continue investing in our operational capabilities, people and ground services to ensure we can accommodate increasing passenger volumes while maintaining reliable and efficient operations.
Third, we will focus on making air travel more accessible through our low-fare model, giving more people the opportunity to undertake their pilgrimage.
As a fast-growing airline within the Saudia Group, flyadeal is well positioned to contribute to the Kingdom’s expanding aviation and tourism sectors. Religious tourism is an important part of that journey, and we look forward to growing our contribution in the years ahead.
Ahmed Abdul Wasey
Managing Editor, Eat ‘N Stays
Ahmed Abdul Wasey is the Managing Editor in Eat ‘N Stays, overseeing all editorial coverage of travel, hospitality, and food across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. He sets the publication’s editorial direction and reviews coverage across hotels, restaurants, tourism, cruise, and industry news before it publishes.
Have a story tip, correction, or question about our coverage? Reach Ahmed directly at pr@eatnstays.com.
