flynas’ joining as an affiliate member of the UNWTO, which opened its Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh in 2021, contributes to highlighting the pioneering role of flynas and adds value in visibility, networking, participation, knowledge, support, and cooperation with Tier 1 organizations in the field of tourism.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – flynas, the national air carrier and the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East and the world, has joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as an affiliate member, becoming the first Saudi airline and the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East to join the organization and enhancing the leading LCC capabilities to contribute to sustainable global tourism, in line with flynas sustainability strategy and the Kingdom’s vision and commitment to leveraging the future of the global travel sector.
The Affiliate Members form an integral part of UNWTO membership, bringing together over 500 companies, educational and research institutions, and NGOs to engage in dialogue, share information, and take further action with the objective of contributing to sustainable global tourism, in which knowledge and innovation are applied to making tourism more responsible and competitive, in accordance with the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
On this occasion, Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of flynas, confirmed: “flynas joining the organization as the first Saudi airline and the first Low-Cost carrier in the Middle East will reinforce its position as the 4th best Low-Cost airline in the world, pointing out that the membership goals come in line with flynas’ sustainability plan, which focuses on adopting initiatives with a sustainable impact on the environment, society, and the economy, in addition to its efficient role in shaping the future of global travel and its pioneering role in building a sustainable tourism sector.”
“flynas places sustainability at the core of its operations, in line with the Kingdom’s goals to reach zero neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions by 2060,” Almohanna added.
The step coincides with choosing Saudi Arabia to host the 26th General Assembly session of the UNWTO in 2025, the first time the Kingdom will host the General Assembly of a UN organization, underscoring the country’s growing prominence in global tourism. The UNWTO Executive Council has also approved the re-election of the Kingdom as president of the council for the year 2024 at the 120th Executive Council meeting held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.
Last August, flynas joined the United Nations Global Compact, becoming the first airline in Saudi Arabia and the first low-cost airline in the Middle East to join the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1500 weekly flights and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007, aiming to reach 165 domestic and international destinations in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
The success of flynas was recognized with many international awards, including Skytrax International Award as the Best Low-cost Airline in the Middle East in 2023 for the sixth time in a row and the 4th Best LCC worldwide. It is the highest worldwide award in the aviation sector since its launch in 1999.
Meanwhile, flynas won the Best Low-cost Airline Award in the Middle East from the World Travel Awards in 2023, increasing the number of times it has won the prestigious award in the aviation industry to 9 consecutive times since 2015.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
