Swissport and flynas form exclusive Saudi

Swissport and Middle Eastern low-cost carrier flynas have announced a long-term strategic commercial and financial partnership. The five-year agreement makes Swissport Saudi Arabia the exclusive ground handling partner for flynas across its entire Saudi network, while flynas acquires a 10% equity stake in Swissport Saudi Arabia.

This deal is designed to strengthen Swissport's position in what it calls the Middle East's largest and fastest-growing aviation market. The partnership is expected to expand Swissport's operations in the Kingdom, bringing its share of the Saudi ground handling market to approximately 40%. It also aims to support Saudi Arabia's wider Vision 2030 strategy to become a global aviation hub.

Strategic stakes and expansion plans

A key financial component of the deal sees flynas taking a 10% equity stake in Swissport Saudi Arabia. The airline retains an option to increase this holding to up to 20% in the future. This investment ties the two companies together beyond a standard service contract, aligning their growth objectives in the region.

Warwick Brady, President and CEO of Swissport International, stated the partnership reflects a long-term commitment to the Kingdom's aviation sector. "Our global track record in safety, operational excellence, digital transformation and workforce development provides the foundation required to support flynas’s expansion," Brady said.

Supporting Saudi aviation vision

The partnership is framed as a direct contributor to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic transformation plan. Under this vision, the Kingdom has committed to investing over 100 billion USD in aviation infrastructure and ecosystem development. According to recent data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) cited in the source, the aviation sector contributed approximately 90.6 billion USD to the Saudi economy in 2023, equivalent to 8.5% of GDP, while supporting more than 1.4 million jobs.

Brady connected the partnership to these national goals. "By combining our operational expertise and technological capabilities with flynas's ambitious growth plans, we are building a long-term partnership that supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030," he said.

Flynas's rapid growth trajectory

The source identifies flynas as one of the fastest-growing airlines in the Middle East. It has increased its capacity by more than 60% between 2019 and 2024. In 2025, the airline carried 15.8 million passengers, which represented a 7% increase year-on-year.

The airline's fleet expansion underpins this growth. In July 2026, flynas confirmed orders for five Airbus A330neo and 20 A321neo aircraft. This brought its confirmed Airbus orders to 235 aircraft out of a total orderbook of 280.

Swissport stated that its role will be to provide the ground handling foundation required to support this ongoing expansion for flynas, aiming to deliver services to millions of passengers in the coming years.