KARACHI: Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flyadeal has expanded its operations in Pakistan with inaugural flights to Peshawar and Islamabad cities recently, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said in a statement on Monday. 

Jeddah-based Flyadeal, a sister company of Saudia Airlines, launched operations in Pakistan with an inaugural flight to the southern port city of Karachi on Feb. 1. On Sunday, the airline’s inaugural flight to Pakistan’s capital arrived at the Islamabad International Airport from Riyadh with 65 passengers on board, while the return flight left with 172 passengers. 

On Monday, the airline expanded its operations in the country further by operating its first flight to Peshawar. The flight arrived in the northwestern city’s Bacha Khan International Airport from Riyadh. 

“Flyadeal will now operate two weekly flights from Riyadh to Peshawar every Monday and Wednesday,” the PCAA said. 

Meanwhile, the airline will operate a weekly flight to Islamabad on Sundays, the statement added. 

“The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) welcomed Flyadeal’s entry into Pakistan’s aviation market, noting that the new services to Peshawar and Islamabad will strengthen connectivity, facilitate passenger convenience, and further boost ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” the PCAA said. 

Flyadeal’s move to expand operations to Pakistan comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to boost its tourism sector under the Vision 2030 program, which aims to attract over 150 million domestic and international tourists annually to the Kingdom by the end of the decade.

Every year, thousands of Pakistanis travel to the Kingdom and back for tourism and religious reasons. Saudi Arabia is home to over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates who live and work in the Kingdom.