Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Just going back to the report we were talking about a minute ago, the one that you've just published,
00:04it seems like the number of visitors arriving on low-cost flights, according to that report, is actually decreasing.
00:11And I'm just wondering if that's a steady trend. Does that tell us something?
00:15Does that suggest there's a shift in the profile of the average visitor to Saudi Arabia?
00:21So this report focuses on the Saudis traveling, and the low-cost carrier market in Saudi Arabia last year grew significantly.
00:30In 2024 and 2023, the last few years, as the launch of Fly Ideal and increasing routes.
00:36Now what's happening is the domestic flight is being balanced now.
00:40It's a more balanced market between full-service carrier, the Saudi airline, the national carrier, and FlyNAS and Fly Ideal, the other low-cost carriers.
00:47At the same time, the opening of Saudi Arabia for international markets is creating a lot more low-cost travel into Saudi Arabia.
00:54So it's easier access. You've got Whiz Air.
00:56You have a few other airlines that are coming into Saudi Arabia with low-cost carriers, increasing the ability for people to visit Saudi at a low-cost level, and Saudis to travel out.
01:07So both ways are really strong.
01:09So it's not about the profile.
01:11I think it's about the access and accessibility.
01:13And low-cost carriers come from not necessarily always all the major hubs.
01:16They come from other smaller cities, other cities that drive additional traffic and at a much better price point.
01:22Because what we're seeing in general, globally, is people are necessarily saving on the flight, but they're spending more in destination.