Tag Archives: Air Arabia

The officials results released by Air Arabia reported strong financial results for the first half ending June 30, 2018 as the low-cost carrier continued to deliver solid and sustained financial performance. Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 230 million for the first half ending June 30, 2018; a 12 per cent less than the AED 261 million reported for the same period last year. The company’s turnover for the first six months of 2018 reached AED 1.816 billion, an increase of 6 per cent compared to AED 1.716 billion in the corresponding period last year. Air Arabia’s strong profits are registered despite the economic pressure that airlines have witnessed in the second quarter of this year, which was driven by lower yield margins, higher fuel prices and seasonality shift in traffic that the market has experienced. Marking strong growth in passenger demand, Air Arabia flew 4.2 million passengers during the first half of 2018 and the airline’s average seat load factor for the first six month of 2018 – passengers carried as a percentage of available seats – stood at impressive 79 per cent. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia said, “Air Arabia’s strong financial results are a testament to the airline’s robust growth strategy, operational efficiency and unwavering commitment to delivering on its value-added proposition for customers. The global aviation industry had to cope up with pressing economic challenges during the second quarter of this year and we are glad to see Air Arabia continuing to deliver strong financial and operational performance while maintaining its momentum growth across the breadth of its network.”

Taking two new Airbus A320 aircraft deliveries, Air Arabia has brought its total operating fleet to 53. The latest Airbus A320 arrived on schedule from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, marking the completion of all deliveries this year. The new A320 aircraft have gone straight into service across the airline’s over 150 destination networks served from the main carrier hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. Air Arabia added 12 new routes from its hubs in the first half of 2018. The next delivery will be Air Arabia’s first A321neo LR to join the fleet early next year. Adding the A321 to the fleet will enable the low-cost carrier to extend its fleet reach and therefore, enter new markets as well as better serve existing high-density routes. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “The delivery of our last two aircraft for 2018 marks a significant step in the development of our fleet expansion strategy, especially as we added 12 new routes this year. We are proud to have created one of the industry’s most modern fleets through exceptional organic growth which helped us offer customers a wider range of destinations at great value.”

Air Arabia will add two flights per week to Izmir making it the fifth destination in Turkey from June 27, 2018. It will become the first airline to connect UAE and Izmir with a direct flight. Izmir joins Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum and Trabzon as the carrier’s fifth destination in the country. The flight will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 21:05 hours, and arriving the next day at Izmir’s Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) at 00:50 hours local time. The return flight will depart Izmir at 01:30 hours, landing in Sharjah at 06:50 hours local time. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia said, “Turkey is a country with a true epitome of a cultural crossroad, and holds history that is as tangible and accessible as any of its modern-day attractions. We are pleased to announce Izmir as our fifth destination in Turkey. This new flight to Izmir is an exciting destination for residents in the UAE and GCC to visit just in time for the summer holidays.”

Qabala will be the second destination in Azerbaijan to be served by Air Arabia from June 27, 2018. Air Arabia currently serves Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan with daily flights. The flight will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 13:00 hours and arriving at Qabala International Airport (GBB) at 16:10 hours local time. The return flight will depart Qabala at 17:15 hours, landing in Sharjah at 19:50 hours local time. Featuring a moderate climate and a mountainous landscape, Qabala is a destination of choice for travellers looking to spend their summer closer to nature. The city caters to all, offering everything from entertainment at amusement parks to guided walks, through the heart of its untouched forest lands.  Air Arabia currently operates flights to 133 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa.

Air Arabia is set to introduce flights to Sheremetyevo International Airport from February 1, 2018, boosting the flight to serve the Russian capital with a double daily frequency. The flight complements the airline’s existing daily services to Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport. The flight will operate four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 09:10 hours, and arriving at Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) at 13:35 hours local time. The return flight will depart Sheremetyevo at 14:35 hours, landing in Sharjah at 20:45 hours local time. Air Arabia will upgrade to a daily Sheremetyevo flight from March 1, 2018, which will join the current daily flight to Domodedovo to serve Moscow with a double daily frequency.

The 7th edition of Arab Aviation Summit held in Dubai was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. Themed on ‘Time to Transform: Addressing sustainability challenges and opportunities for the regional aviation sector”, the summit was attended by more than 200 industry participants from 15 Arab countries. Welcoming the delegates, Adel Al Ali, Arab Aviation Summit Chairperson and Group CEO, Air Arabia, said, “We gather every year to debate the ever-changing state of the aviation industry and its complexities. Arab aviation is highly affected by the evolving geo-political situation, global economy, technological developments and others. Today, we address the sustainability of our industry and the challenges and opportunities it faces in the short and long term.” The summit delineates how market forces are driving the further evolution of Arab aviation and how greater collaboration between public and private sectors can be achieved to unlock the region’s potential.

Air Arabia announced Asmara as its first destination in Eritrea, starting from December 10, 2017. The flight will operate once a week on Sundays, departing Sharjah International Airport at 22:00 hours and arriving at Asmara International Airport (ASM) at 01:00 hours local time. The return flight will depart Asmara on Mondays at 01:40, landing in Sharjah on the following day at 06:20 hours local time. Air Arabia currently operates flights to 133 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said “Eritrea is on the path to becoming an important market for the UAE. Through the launch of this route, we look to boost the trade and bilateral relations between the two countries, and expand our footprint in the African continent. We are excited to commence our operations to Asmara, which will provide affordable travel options to passengers travelling from Eritrea to destinations across our network and beyond.”

Air Arabia signed a lease agreement for six Airbus A321neo Long Range aircraft with the Los Angeles-based Air Lease Corporation. These additional aircraft will join Air Arabia’s fleet starting 2019 and will help the airline better serve its existing network. The agreement was signed between Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia and Alex Khatibi, Executive Vice President, Air Lease Corporation on the sidelines of Dubai Airshow. Air Arabia’s new A321neo LR aircraft will feature 215 seats per aircraft while maintaining Air Arabia’s industry leading seat pitch that customers currently enjoy. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia commented, “We continue to witness growth in passenger traffic across our hubs and remain focused on our business model to provide affordable fare and value for money to passengers.” The new A321neo LR will join Air Arabia’s existing fleet of 50 A320 aircraft that serve over 133 routes from five hubs in the UAE (Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah), Morocco, Egypt and Jordan.

Air Arabia recently launched a direct flight to another destination in Turkey — its historic port city Trabzon. The flight is scheduled to operate on five days a weekly — Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the flight departs from Sharjah International Airport at 21:45 and arrives at Trabzon International Airport at 00:20 local time the next day. The return service departs from Trabzon at 01:00, landing in Sharjah at 05:15 local time. On Tuesdays, the flight departs from Sharjah at 13:15 and arrives at Trabzon at 15:50; then the return flights from Trabzon are scheduled to take off at 16:30 and land in Sharjah at 20:45. Finally, the flights on Sundays are scheduled to depart from Sharjah at 16:35 and land in Trabzon at 19:10, and then the return flights are to take off at 19:50 from Trabzon and arrive at Sharjah at 00:05 the next day.

Air Arabia has increased services to Armenia’s Yerevan to four times a week as it is fast proving to be a popular holiday destination for GCC families, especially Indian citizens living in the Gulf, thanks to the latest visa-on-arrival policy that the country implemented earlier this year. Yerevan appeals to a wide spectrum of holiday goers, from thrill seeking adventurers to those looking for more family-orientated trips. Flying to Yerevan from Sharjah, Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, commenced operations to Armenia in 2013. The journey time is approximately three hours and the route is being served by an Airbus A320.