Greenway steps down as flyadeal CEO after two years

• Saudia executive will be interim CEO
• Greenway led carrier’s transformation
• Says business remains resilient

Steven Greenway, CEO of flyadeal, is stepping down after more than two years at the helm of the Saudi low-cost airline.

In a LinkedIn post, Greenway confirmed that he will depart his role as CEO, but will remain as an adviser through year-end.

Sanjiv Kapoor, an executive vice president at flyadeal’s parent company Saudia Airlines (Saudia), will serve as the interim CEO until a permanent successor is announced.

In the post, Greenway, who joined the carrier in January 2024, said transforming flyadeal into one of the region’s most adept, reliable and fast-growing low-cost operators has been the honour of his career.

“New aircraft, new routes, new records — and consistently among the world’s best on-time performers, with safety as the cornerstone of everything. None of it happened by accident. All of it happened because of our people,” Greenway said.

Stephen Greenway / LinkedIn

Steven Greenway

However, he said that working “at 1,000 percent takes its toll”, adding that the business remains resilient despite current headwinds.

In February, Greenway said the number of aircraft in its fleet would exceed 100 by 2030, up from the current 45.

The introduction of wide-body A330 aircraft will allow the airline to fly up to 13 hours, enabling it to reach destinations in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh, non-stop from the kingdom.

In addition, the A330 will allow flyadeal to expand westward to the UK, France and other countries in mainland Europe, Greenway said.

Passenger numbers increased by a third in 2025, surpassing the 10 million mark for the first time in a year after the number of destinations rose by 66 percent compared with 2024.

Flyadeal operates 250 scheduled daily flights from its bases in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Medina, serving 30 seasonal and year-round destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and South Asia.

Further reading:

• Flyadeal awaits Airbus delivery to begin long-haul flights
• Full airline operations some way off unless Iran war ends
• Oman government acquires budget airline SalamAir