Con Korfiatis, CEO flyadeal – Keynote interview “The digital demands in Saudi Arabia”

At Aviation Festival Asia, Con Korfiatis, CEO flyadeal joined for a keynote interview. The conversation explored the growth opportunities for a carrier in Saudi Arabia and looked closely at the airline’s digital business.

One of the key objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is to increase the number of visiting tourists. Korfiatis discussed the huge responsibility this places on the country’s airlines but also highlighted the symbiotic relationship this goal has with the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) growth. Working complementarily with the growth objectives, the carrier is an “enabler” in achieving social and economic objectives, helping provide the capacity to bring people in and out.

This growth potential is highlighted in the carrier’s transformation during the pandemic. The flyadeal CEO described how the airline grew 150 per cent during Covid, returning to 2019 passenger levels by 2021 and explained that “to be able to grow that much in Covid tTells the story of the potential for Saudi Arabia.” The position that flyadeal, as an ULCC, fills through satisfying demand for affordable travel within the market is also explored as well as plans for expansion in the near future.

During the interview, flyadeal as digital-first airline is reviewed in depth. Firstly, the factors creating an environment where domestically 95 per cent of sales are made through digital channels, 60 per cent of which use the mobile app are explored. The conversation also looks at how the airline’s current customer mix impacts this and by extension how this may change as a result of expanding the airline’s customer base.

Through the course of the interview Korfiatis touches on expansion, the pandemic, tourism, digital business, Wizz Air, the future as an ULCC and more. Watch the full interview below.

For more on creating a digital-first airline watch the interview with Korfiatis here.

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