Sharjah Airport has welcomed the first flights of Saudi airline ‘Flynas’, which has joined the list of carriers operating scheduled flights to and from Sharjah in the UAE, a report said.

The airline will operate seven weekly flights from Jeddah to Sharjah Airport, and two weekly flights from Madinah to Sharjah Emirate on its Boeing 737 aircraft, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

The new flights contribute to expanding the international aviation network through Sharjah Airport and meets the growing number of passengers and increased air cargo movement through the high-quality and efficient services offered.

The flight was inaugurated in the presence of ‏Sheikh Faisal Bin Saoud Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), in the presence of Sultan Al Khaldi, KSA Sales Director at Flynas, Syed Mazharuddin, Regional Manager GCC at Flynas, along with several officials and managers at Sharjah Airport Authority.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of SAA affirmed that the authority continues to implement a long-term strategy to reinforce the airport’s position in the travel and aviation sectors by expanding its services, buildings, and supporting facilities.

This is in conjunction with the ongoing work on the new expansion project to increase the airport's capacity to 25 million passengers annually by the end of 2027.

He added that the expansion of travel and aviation through Sharjah Airport and the growth of airlines using the airport as their destination would enhance the tourism status of Sharjah, which has become an international economic and tourism centre and an attraction for visitors from the Gulf countries, the Arab world, and the entire globe.

He noted that tourism, travel, and cargo movement between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are recording significant growth.

This is due to the diverse tourism and recreational destinations both countries offer, their hosting of many major international conferences, exhibitions, and events, as well as the strong and diverse economic and trade relations that support their investment and business activities, in addition to pilgrimage and Umrah trips to the holy lands in Saudi Arabia.