عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

flynas Becomes First Saudi Airline and First LCC in Middle East to Join World Tourism Organization

flynas' membership in the UNWTO further strengthens the airline's position as one of the top five LCCs in the world. (SPA)
flynas' membership in the UNWTO further strengthens the airline's position as one of the top five LCCs in the world. (SPA)
TT
20
TT

flynas Becomes First Saudi Airline and First LCC in Middle East to Join World Tourism Organization

flynas' membership in the UNWTO further strengthens the airline's position as one of the top five LCCs in the world. (SPA)
flynas' membership in the UNWTO further strengthens the airline's position as one of the top five LCCs in the world. (SPA)

flynas, the Saudi national air carrier, has joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as an affiliate member, becoming the first Saudi airline in the Middle East to join the organization.

This boosts the leading LCC role to contribute to sustainable global tourism, which aligns with flynas' sustainability strategy and the Kingdom's vision and commitment to shaping the future of the global travel sector.

Affiliate members are an integral part of UNWTO membership, bringing together over 500 companies, educational and research institutions and NGOs to engage in dialogue, share information, and take action with the objective of contributing to sustainable global tourism in which knowledge and innovation are harnessed to promote responsible and competitive tourism, in line with the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the UN principles and objectives.

flynas' membership in the UNWTO further strengthens the airline's position as one of the top five LCCs in the world, adding value in visibility, networking, participation, knowledge, support and cooperation with Tier 1 organizations in the field of tourism.

flynas CEO and Managing Director Bander Almohanna said: "flynas' joining the organization as the first Saudi airline and the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East will reinforce its position as the 4th best low-cost airline in the world."

He pointed out that members' goals coincide with flynas' sustainability plan, which focuses on adopting initiatives with a sustainable impact on the environment, society and the economy, in addition to "its efficient role in shaping the future of global travel and its pioneering role in building a sustainable tourism sector".

"flynas places sustainability at the core of its operations, in line with the Kingdom's goals to reach zero neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions by 2060," Almohanna added.

Flynas's membership in UNWTO comes as Saudi Arabia was selected to host the 26th UNWTO General Assembly in 2025, the first time the Kingdom will host the general assembly of a UN organization, underscoring the country's growing prominence in global tourism.

Last August, flynas joined the United Nations Global Compact, becoming the first airline in Saudi Arabia and the first low-cost airline in the Middle East to join the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative.

flynas' outstanding achievements have been recognized, and it received numerous international awards, including Skytrax International Award for Best Low-cost Airline in the Middle East in 2023, for the sixth time in a row and the 4th Best LCC worldwide. It is the highest worldwide award in the aviation sector since its launch in 1999.

Moreover, flynas won the Best Low-cost Airline Award in the Middle East from the World Travel Awards in 2023, for the ninth consecutive time since 2015.

Most Viewed

 
Business

Japan Plans 'World First' Deep-sea Mineral Extraction

The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
TT
20
TT

Japan Plans 'World First' Deep-sea Mineral Extraction

The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File

Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind, the director of a government innovation program said Thursday.

Earlier this week the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as concern grows over China's dominance in resources vital to new technologies.

Rare earths -- 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth's crust -- are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.

China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.

A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu will from January conduct a "test cruise" to retrieve ocean floor sediments that contain rare earth elements, said Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan's Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program.

"The test to retrieve the sediments from 5,500 meters (3.4 miles) water depth is the first in the world," he told AFP.

"Our goal... of this cruise is to test the function of all mining equipment," so the amount of sediment extracted "doesn't matter at all", Ishii added.

The Chikyu will drill in Japanese economic waters around the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific -- the easternmost point of Japan, also used as a military base.

Japan's Nikkei business daily reported that the mission aims to extract 35 tons of mud from the sea floor over around three weeks.

Each ton is expected to contain around two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rare earth minerals, which are often used to make magnets that are essential in modern electronics.

Deep-sea mining has become a geopolitical flashpoint, with anxiety growing over a push by US President Donald Trump to fast-track the practice in international waters.

Beijing has since April required licenses to export rare earths from China, a move seen as retaliation for US curbs on the import of Chinese goods.

Environmental campaigners warn that deep-sea mining threatens marine ecosystems and will disrupt the sea floor.

The International Seabed Authority, which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside national waters, is meeting later this month to discuss a global code to regulate mining in the ocean depths.