flyadeal has taken another step to widen its distribution strategy by going live on the Amadeus booking platform giving travel agents access to the airline’s growing network of flights. Beginning with the domestic market – home to almost 4,000 travel agents accredited to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – flyadeal will implement a phased rollout of the reservation tool to the trade in more countries over the next few months. When agents search for a particular route, the Amadeus GDS now displays flyadeal among the operating airlines. As a digital first airline, connecting with a global distribution system (GDS) is a significant strategic move since flyadeal launched its first flight in September 2017. flyadeal now operates over 200 daily scheduled services from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to more than 30 destinations across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and South Asia with a fleet of 42 Airbus A320 aircraft. Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “Signing up with Amadeus is a historic step for flyadeal. GDS connection expands distribution of our inventory of flights and fares, and offers the wider travel agency community with instant access, convenience and booking capability through their desktop terminals. “Having scaled our operations over the years, building a strong domestic network of flights and increasingly moving into international operations, our business has evolved into more partnerships, including travel agencies which we see as a vital part of our growth story to complement our own direct booking channels.” Rogier van Enk, flyadeal Chief Commercial and Customer Experience Officer, added: “As we start off in our home market of Saudi Arabia, the Amadeus booking tool will be …
Read More »flyadeal launches daily flights to Syria
flyadeal has launched its much-anticipated non-stop daily flights to the Syrian capital, Damascus. With the start of three flights a week from the Saudi port city of Jeddah from 1 October, followed 24 hours later by the first of four weekly services from the capital Riyadh, flyadeal now provides a new daily air bridge between the Kingdom and Syria. flyadeal has been working tirelessly to secure the new operations following the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, which has for years been devasted by civil war. flyadeal management led by Chief Executive Officer Steven Greenway joined airport executives at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah for the launch celebrations. In Damascus, inaugural flight F3 741 from Jeddah was welcomed to a traditional water salute, with celebrations attended by officials including His Excellency Abdullah Al- Horyes, Deputy Ambassador at the Saudi Embassy in Damascus, and Fadi Al-Junidi, Director of Air Transport at the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority. Greenway said: “It’s a momentous occasion to finally launch our Damascus flights from two gateway cities in the Kingdom, long needed to help the many Syrians to travel back to their homeland and reunite with family and friends. “With over two million Syrians living and working in the Kingdom, the restoration of air links provides great relief and will support the economic redevelopment of Syria as the country embarks on rebuilding its infrastructure attracting much-needed investment from the international community.” flyadeal currently operates a modern fleet of 42 A320s from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to more than 30 seasonal and year-round destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and South Asia. By 2030, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, flyadeal expects …
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