Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, has announced that it is expanding its routes network thru the operation of long-haul flights to many popular destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Sub Continent.

Flynas’s new route map will include London, Paris, Casablanca, India and Pakistan. The planned route expansion is expected to take effect in the second quarter of 2014.

“Our passengers will enjoy all the expected services and comforts from the long-haul travel –including the Aircraft Airbus A330a, business class cabin, in-flight entertainment, hot meal service, flexible baggage policy, and expertly trained cabin crew – all offered at a very competitive price,” said Raja Azmi, CEO of flynas.

A recent study by leading price comparison site HotelsCombined said demand for European destinations among Middle East travelers rose by 45 per cent in August 2013, compared to the same period last year, with London topping the list and Paris featuring among the top 5 most popular destinations.

“The demand for affordable and convenient travel to Europe is on the rise – London was the most popular overseas destination among Middle East travelers during the recent Eid Al Adha break,” said Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, CEO Nas Holding.

“The expansion into the long haul destinations builds on our new strategic direction to carry 20 million passengers per year by 2020  across a much wider cross-section of the Middle Eastern passenger profile.

“We are sure the addition of an affordable, high-service option on these high-traffic routes will be very positively met. Moreover, the operation of long-haul routes will increase our market share in several sectors while be a great addition in facilitating greater connectivity between Saudi Arabia and various new destinations, a step that is expected to participate in impacting positively the national economy of the Kingdom,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service