I MENA’s 10 Biggest Airlines

Mobility MENA’s 10 Biggest Airlines

1. Emirates

Chairman and CEO: Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Country: U.A.E. Established in: 1985

Emirates was established in 1985 with a seed fund of $10 million. In the first five years of its operations, it only flew to 14 destinations. Today, Emirates travels to 120 destinations with a fleet of 270 aircraft. More than 15.8 million passengers traveled with the Dubaibased airline in 2020, with 1.2 million customers flying with Emirates between July and August of 2021. In January 2021, it began to trial the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) Travel Pass, which enables passengers to create a digital passport to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination requirements.

2. Qatar Airways

Group CEO: Akbar Al Baker Country: Qatar Established in: 1997

Qatar Airways began operations in 1994 as a small regional carrier, but it was reestablished in 1997 as an international airline. Today, it flies to 130 destinations from Hamad International Airport in Doha. More than 10.6 million international passengers traveled with Qatar Airways in 2020. Qatar Airways is the official sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In March 2021, the airline began trials of IATA’s Travel Pass mobile app.

3. Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA)

CEO: Ibrahim Koshy Country: Saudi Arabia Established in: 1945

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) began with a single aircraft given as a gift to King Abdul Aziz Al Saud by the President of the U.S. at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1945. Today, it has a fleet of 144 aircraft, which flew over 11 million passengers in 2020. The national flag carrier plans to add 70 new airliners to its fleet and sought to raise $3 billion in March 2021. In April 2021, SAUDIA partnered with the IATA to begin trialing its Travel Pass mobile app.

4. Etihad Airways

Group CEO: Tony Douglas Country: U.A.E. Established in: 2003 Owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways is the U.A.E.’s second flag carrier. In 2020, more than 4.2 million passengers traveled with Etihad Airways. The carrier has a fleet of 64 aircraft, having downsized to a mid-sized carrier during the pandemic. Today, it flies to 68 passenger and cargo destinations in 46 countries. The airline employs over 12,000 people.

5. EGYPTAIR

Chairman and CEO: Amr Nabil Country: Egypt Established in: 1932 EGYPTAIR was founded in 1932 as the state-owned flag carrier of Egypt. Today, it has a fleet of 70 aircraft. It operates passenger services to 78 cities (65 international and 13 domestic), with its annual passenger count surpassing one million in 2019. It also operates cargo services to 13 cities. EGYPTAIR set up a dedicated sustainability committee in 2019. By modernizing its fleet, it has reduced its fuel consumption and total CO2 emissions by 20%.

6. Air Arabia

Group CEO: Adel Abdullah Ali Country: U.A.E. Established in: 2003

Air Arabia is a low-cost carrier serving MENA. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). Founded in 2003, it was one of the first airlines in the region to introduce a low-cost concept. It flies to over 170 destinations across the world, operating via five hubs in the U.A.E., Morocco, and Egypt. In 2020, its turnover was $503.7 million, and it served a total of 4.4 million passengers from its five hubs.

7. Air Algérie

Interim CEO: Amine Debaghine Mesroua Country: Algeria Established in: 1947 Established in 1947, Algeria’s national airline carries more than 6.1 million passengers across 75 destinations, including 35 domestic locations, annually with a fleet of 59 aircraft. In 2019, the airline had revenues of over $840 million and made a loss of $31 million.

8. Royal Air Maroc

Chairman and CEO: Abdelhamid Addou Country: Morocco Established in: 1957

Founded in 1957, Royal Air Maroc is the national airline of Morocco. It serves around 99 destinations and carries nearly eight million passengers per year. It has a fleet of 52 aircraft. The company connects to more than 80 airports around the world. In 2019, it operated more than 2,300 scheduled flights per week. In 2020, the company became the first African company to become a full member of the Oneworld alliance. It introduced a Casablanca-Beijing line last year.

9. Oman Air

CEO: Abdulaziz Al Raisi Country: Oman Established in: 1993 Oman Air commenced its operations in 1993 as a regional airline. Today, it has a fleet of 40 aircraft serving 3.5 million passengers annually across 48 destinations in the world. In July 2021, Oman Air announced that it had become the official airline partner of the International Congress and Convention Association for the Middle East.

10. flynas

CEO and Managing Director: Bander Almohanna Country: Saudi Arabia Established in: 2007 Established in 2007, flynas is one of the leading low-cost airlines in the Middle East with a fleet of 30 aircraft, operating over 1,200 flights a week to 80 locations around the world. flynas carried around 7.6 million passengers in 2019. It has flown over 50 million passengers since its inception. In August 2021, flynas signed a partnership agreement with the Singaporean company, SATS, to expand and develop air cargo services.