flynas (XY, Riyadh) is negotiating with both Boeing and its current supplier Airbus to buy an additional 130 aircraft, according to Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Bander Almohanna.

"The negotiation is for additional 130 aircraft. So the total book order will increase to 250," he informed ch-aviation.

Almohanna’s comments followed the news on March 28 that the privately-owned Saudi budget carrier’s board had decided to raise the company’s new aircraft orders to 250 units after reviewing its financial results for 2021.

Almohanna earlier told Al Arabiya that the value of the deal would be between USD13 billion to USD15 billion, to be completed before the end of 2022. “We will choose the offer that suits the company’s plans, whether in terms of delivery, prices, or providing seating capacity,” he said. "flynas is currently in discussion with aircraft manufacturers in drafting agreements," he added in a statement.

Once delivered, the increased order will make flynas the low-cost airline in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the largest fleet. It also more than doubled flynas’s existing aircraft order.

In 2017, the carrier agreed to purchase 120 new A320-200Ns from Airbus (90 firm orders with 30 options) at a list value of USD8.6 billion. In November 2019, it firmed up a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for the purchase of ten A321-200NY(XLR)s due to be delivered from 2025 onwards.

According to the statement, the board also ratified the company’s strategic plan for international expansion and to explore the opening of new bases in several countries.

Alohanna told Al Arabiya the budget carrier plans to increase the number of destinations served from 70 to 165.

"From our position as a Saudi air carrier, we see great opportunities for expansion supported by the strategic location of the Kingdom and the prospects opened by Saudi Vision 2030 for the air transport sector. This is reinforced by the launch of the Civil Aviation Strategy, which aims to increase the annual passenger traffic to 330 million and connect KSA with more than 250 destinations worldwide by 2030."

"We will explore aircraft of different capabilities, to fly to new destinations, increasing the connection of the world to the Kingdom, support tourism, and contribute to the transportation of pilgrims and Umrah performers," he added.

Partly owned by the investment firm of Saudi billionaire Alwaleed Bin Talal, the company launched as nasair (Saudi Arabia) (Riyadh) in 2007 with an all-Airbus fleet, which currently comprises twenty A320-200Ns and seventeen A320-200s with four A330-300s awaiting induction, according to the ch-aviation fleets module.