Riyadh based National Air Services (NAS) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to buy 20 Airbus A320 Family aircraft for the company’s budget airline arm, NASair. The agreement was signed at the 47th International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget.

NASair which began services in February 2007 is the first budget airline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“We are thrilled to have concluded a deal with Airbus. With our plans to service domestic and international routes, this new fleet will give us the size to fulfil passenger demand using the most reliable, efficient and comfortable aircraft in the market,” said Taher Agueel, President & CEO, NAS.

National Airline Service (NAS) is provider of tailor made aviation services in the Middle East. In December, 2006, NAS was awarded the first commercial licence to fly all the domestic routes within Saudi Arabia and is ideally placed to offer international services in the near future.

NAS currently manages a fleet of over 47 aircraft. Six of these are Airbus A320 Family aircraft. All the new Airbus aircraft will be deployed to NASair. This order coupled with NAS’s other commitments for 60 aircraft signed in 2007, will eventually grow the fleet to 127 aircraft making NAS one of the most dominant air service providers in the region in the private and commercial sectors.

“We are delighted that National Air Services has chosen Airbus as a partner in their exciting expansion plans. The market for air travel in the Middle East region is growing at above world average levels, and the Airbus A320 Family with its unbeatable economics and reliability, and also the widest and the roomiest cabin interior of any single aisle aircraft, will stand NASair in good stead,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers.