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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)
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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.

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Japan Tariff Negotiator Held In-Depth Talks with Lutnick, Japanese Government Says

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens to Senators speak during a Senate Appropriations hearing, June 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens to Senators speak during a Senate Appropriations hearing, June 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
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Japan Tariff Negotiator Held In-Depth Talks with Lutnick, Japanese Government Says

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens to Senators speak during a Senate Appropriations hearing, June 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens to Senators speak during a Senate Appropriations hearing, June 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

Japan's tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held "in-depth exchanges" over the phone with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Saturday, the Japanese government said.

A pause on a 24% reciprocal tariff on imports from Japan expires on July 9, although US President Donald Trump has suggested the rate could be even higher.

The Japanese government also said in a statement that it intends to continue actively coordinating with the US side on the matter, as it worked to avert higher tariffs.

The White House declined to comment on the report, referring only to Trump's recent comments on Japan.

Trump this week hammered Japan over what he said was Tokyo's reluctance to import US-grown rice, and accusing Japan of engaging in "unfair" autos trade.

Japan has in fact imported historically high volumes of US rice in recent months as domestically grown rice has skyrocketed in price since last year.

It was unclear if Trump would make good his pledge to skip further trade negotiations with Japan and send it a letter with a specific tariff rate, on top of the 10% already in effect on most trading partners. On Friday he said he had signed letters to 12 countries and they would be going out on Monday, but did not identify them.

He expressed doubt that a deal could be reached with Japan on Tuesday, and suggested he could impose a tariff of 30% or 35% on imports from Japan - well above the 24% tariff rate he announced on April 2.

Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday said he was determined to protect his country's national interests as trade negotiations with the US struggled, noting that his country was the largest investor in the United States.

Tokyo has yet to secure a trade deal after nearly three months of negotiations as it scrambles to find ways to get Washington to exempt Japan's automakers from 25% automobile industry-specific tariffs, which are hurting the country's manufacturing sector.