RIYADH: Saudi air carrier flynas has been awarded the Skytrax Award for Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East for the fifth time in a row. The gong, handed out in a forum in London on Sept. 23, is based on a multi-month evaluation that includes more than 100 countries in the largest survey of its kind to measure passengers’ satisfaction in the world each year. Bander Almohanna, CEO of flynas, said the award reflected his company’s commitment to operational excellence and meeting the aspirations of its traveling guests, in addition to achieving its growth and expansion strategy — which included launching more than 16 new destinations in 2022. “The crowning of flynas for the fifth year in a row as the Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East with the Skytrax Award in the most important global forum for the aviation industry confirms our leadership as a national air carrier that raises the name of the Kingdom high on its National Day, and achieves the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Strategy for the Civil Aviation Sector in KSA,” he said. Flynas travels to more than 70 domestic and international destinations, and currently operates 38 aircraft — with plans to increase that to 52 by the end of 2023. Almohanna added: “In addition, flynas Board of Directors approved to increase the purchase order for new aircraft to 250 aircraft, in an effort to participate effectively in achieving the Strategy for the Civil Aviation Sector in KSA, which aims to reach 300 million passengers and connect the Kingdom with 250 international destinations by 2030.”