flynas launches major initiative to train 300 Saudi pilots by 2027

flynas, the leading low-cost carrier globally and the first in the Middle East, has announced a plan to train and graduate up to 300 Saudi pilots by the end of 2027. This initiative is part of the 'Future Pilots' program and the employment-linked scholarship track at flynas under the 'Waed' pathway, one of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program tracks. The move aims to further increase the localization of pilot roles and strengthen reliance on ambitious national talent in the aviation sector, in parallel with the airline's expansion and aircraft orders, which now total 280 planes.

This step continues flynas’ commitment, since its establishment in 2007, to developing national talent and preparing a new generation of Saudi pilots. The company offers specialized programs that combine academic education, theoretical and practical training, and hands-on flight experience, helping to prepare national cadres according to the highest professional standards in the aviation industry.

The 'Future Pilots' program has already achieved notable success in localizing pilot jobs, graduating around 300 co-pilots by 2024. Previously, flynas reached a 100% Saudization rate for co-pilot positions. With its new plan, the airline continues to focus on developing and qualifying national talent for pilot roles at all levels, including career progression toward captain positions.

Through expanding its pilot training programs, flynas aims to meet its future needs for national talent in line with its fleet and network growth plans. The company also seeks to capitalize on the rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, supporting the National Aviation Strategy’s goal to position the Kingdom as a global aviation hub and enhance the sector’s contribution to the national economy, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and its initiatives to empower local talent and boost the competitiveness of the Saudi labor market.

The employment-linked scholarship program at flynas, part of the 'Waed' track, further strengthens pathways for Saudi talent by combining scholarship opportunities, specialized training, and employment, enabling participants to build careers in aviation and gain the expertise needed to work in one of the Kingdom’s key priority sectors.