(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Air Arabia PJSC, the Sharjah-based low-cost carrier, said it received its Air Operators Certificate from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority.
The move clears the way for the start of Air Arabia ‘Egypt,’ which will offer flights from Alexandria Burj Al Arab Airport to Khartoum and Kuwait from early next month, the airline said in a statement on Saturday.
Formed in cooperation with the Travco Group, the Middle East’s largest travel and hospitality group, the new carrier will serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa markets, and represents Air Arabia’s third hub after the UAE and Morocco.
“We are confident that Air Arabia ‘Egypt’ will pursue the success path that our hubs in the UAE and Morocco have followed, by complementing our ever growing network of destinations,†Shaikh Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia Group, said.
Air Arabia, a DFM-listed company, said its operations from Egypt will start with two aircraft serving selective number of destinations across the region.
“We are delighted to announce that Air Arabia Egypt has received its Air Operators Certificate ‘AOC’ and we look forward to shortly providing service from our new hub in the heart of the Arab world,†Hamed El Chiaty, Chairman and CEO of Travco Group, said.
Building upon Air Arabia’s existing service to 60 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the new airline will contribute to the ongoing development of the Egyptian travel and tourism sector as well as offer a larger base of customers the best value-for-money air travel options.
“As competition in the GCC region grows, the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, Air Arabia is leveraging its connectivity in Egypt to further expand its operations and diversify its operating base outside of Sharjah,†said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at FBE Aerospace, London.
He said Air Arabia faces massive pressure from flydubai and by launching its third hub in Egypt will allow the airline to continue its growth trajectory and seek out new markets such as Europe and other points in North Africa.
“Air Arabia still has a sizeable fleet size advantage in contrast to its rivals, but this gap is continually closing with new deliveries of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to its rivals. To maintain its competitive edge on pricing, destinations and product, Air Arabia is capitalising on a new market that puts it within the grasp of over 1.5 billion people â€" that’s a huge market and no doubt other airlines will look to emulate Air Arabia within a year,†Ahmad said.
Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a total fleet of 21 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 60 destinations from two hubs in UAE and Morocco.
By Muzaffar Rizvi
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