flynas Begins 2026 Future Pilots Assessments for 300-Trainee Saudi Pilot Plan

Saudi Arabia – flynas has begun assessments for its 2026 Future Pilots Program as part of a plan to enroll 300 trainees and expand its pipeline of Saudi pilots.

• The airline's announcement outlined a wider objective to qualify and graduate up to 300 Saudi pilots by the end of 2027 through the Future Pilots Program and its employment-linked scholarship pathway under the Wa'ed Track.
• The Future Pilots Program combines academic, theoretical, practical and flight training before progression into pilot roles with flynas. By 2024, the airline reported that approximately 300 co-pilots had graduated through the program.
• flynas previously reported achieving 100% Saudization of its co-pilot positions.
• The broader 2026 plan also includes an employment-linked scholarship pathway under the Wa'ed Track of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program.
• The pilot pipeline is being developed alongside flynas' fleet expansion. Its current published fleet comprises 68 aircraft: 62 Airbus A320neos, four A320ceos and two A330 widebody aircraft. The airline has an overall orderbook of 280 Airbus aircraft, of which 235 have been confirmed.
• flynas is also developing a new pilot and cabin crew training center in Riyadh with an investment exceeding SAR200 million (approximately USD53 million). Scheduled to open in 2028, the 13,000-square-meter facility is planned to have three flight simulators in its first phase, infrastructure for eight devices and expansion capacity for up to 14.
• AFM previously reported that flynas graduated 170 Saudi pilots during an 18-month period ending in 2024, comprising 123 co-pilots from the Future Pilots Program and 47 co-pilots promoted to captain. At that time, the airline outlined a plan to employ more than 1,000 Saudi pilots over the following five years. 

About flynas
flynas is a Saudi Arabian low-cost airline headquartered in Riyadh and operates an all-Airbus fleet of 68 aircraft, comprising 62 A320neos, four A320ceos and two A330 widebody aircraft. Its network covers more than 80 destinations in 38 countries, supported by more than 2,000 weekly flights.

Source: flynas