The airline company will use an Airbus 320 to carry 156 passengers in economy class and 12 in business class, said Fayyaz Siddiqi, general manager of Al-Faisaliah Travels, the general sales agents for Almasria in Saudi Arabia.

This will be Almasria’s second operation from Saudi Arabia after it launched two daily Yanbu-Cairo flights in December 2009. Siddiqi said the Yanbu flight is a huge success with 95 percent load on each flight.

According to him, this flight is for Saudis and expatriates living in Saudi Arabia and does not carry Umrah passengers. However, the Jeddah-Cairo flight will be open to all and is expected to be a welcome addition.

Because of its competitive rates, Almasria is perceived as a budget carrier. “It’s a full service airline,” said Siddiqi, adding that it is considered the second national carrier after Egypt Air.