UAE. A new Arab airline, Air Arabia, has started operations from Sharjah in the UAE.
The airline flew to Bahrain on Tuesday on its first flight since the company was formally established in February 2003 by the ruler of Sharjah, Sheik Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qassimi. It has an initial paid-up capital of US$2.7 million.
“We envisage creating an airline that will grant the traveling public of this region the chance to enjoy the benefits of competitive fares, ease of booking and transparency of services,” said Adel Ali, chief executive officer of the airline.
He claimed Air Arabia is the first in the region to offer online booking to reduce distribution costs and ultimately fares. No meals will be served on board, further reducing ticket costs. However, passengers can buy meals. There will be no specific fares to any sector as they will be adjusted according to demand and time of reservation. But Ali said fares will always be at least -25% lower than those of other airlines at any given time.
Air Arabia currently runs two Airbus 320s, and plans to double the fleet early next year. It will initially fly to Bahrain – the Gulf’s financial and banking hub – Muscat, Kuwait, Tehran, Beirut and Damascus. It also plans to add Amman, Cairo, Isfahan, Shiraz (both in Iran), the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Qatar and Saudi Arabia at a later stage.
“The aviation industry in the Arab world goes back 70 years, and is solely constituted of national country airlines. We wanted to be the first airline to provide affordable travel to all the people of the region,” said Ali.
Air Arabia is the third airline either partly or fully owned by the Gulf Arab state. Dubai has its own Emirates Airlines, and the capital Abu Dhabi has a stake in the Bahrain-based regional carrier Gulf Air.
Sheikh Tariq bin Faisal al Qassimi, chairman of the Sharjah Economic Department and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Industry, was quoted by AMERinfo.com as saying: “The airline will give a shot in the arm to both tourism and the airline industry in the country.
“We expect a big increase in intra-Gulf tourism, as people will have the option to travel frequently and at low fares. To me the idea of a cost-effective no-frills airline in the region is as fantastic as it is much needed here,” he added.
AMERinfo.com also quoted Ali Al Midfa, commercial and administrative director at Sharjah International Airport, as saying: “I think a no-frills airline will be very popular with both expatriates and nationals. The majority of passengers prefer quality in service and safety, and the food on short-haul flights is less important. Secondly, fast reservation and check-in procedures at the airport will save time for business and frequent travelers.”
