UAE: Sharjah International Airport Passengers Shoot Up

Sharjah Airport continued to record double-digit growth rates during the first half of this year as passenger numbers rose to 6.605 million.

The airport posted an increase of 15.25 percent compared to 5.731 million passengers in the first half of 2018.

The airport saw 1.114 million passengers in June, a growth rate of 17.6 percent compared to 947,200 passengers in June 2018, a statement said.

Between January and June, there were 41,700 air traffic movements, a growth rate of 7.47 percent compared to the same period last year.

In terms of freight, air cargo volume rose to 78,780 tons, the statement said, adding that the festive seasons, summer holidays and new destinations have contributed to Sharjah Airport’s record growth over the last six months.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said: Sharjah Airport’s positive results in terms of the number of passengers during the first half of this year are a result of the efforts of all the organisations operating at the airport.

These genuine partnerships help to position the airport as one of the region’s best airports both regionally and globally.

Sharjah International Airport is an airport located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east south east of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It is spread over an area of 15,200,000 m2 (3,800 acres).

Sharjah Airport is the third largest Middle East airfreight hub in cargo tonnage, according to official 2015 statistics from Airports Council International.

Ground services company, Sharjah Aviation Services, handled 586,195 tonnes in 2015 – a 16.1% increase year on year. It has one passenger terminal with an area of 125,000 m2 (1,350,000 sq ft).

Sharjah International Airport is home base of the low-cost carrier Air Arabia. The headquarters of Air Arabia is in the Sharjah Freight Center, on the property of the airport in Sharjah, UAE. The center is an old cargo terminal.

The current Sharjah Airport was built in the 1970s and was opened on 1 January 1977. On 20 August 1977 Concorde 202 G-BBDG, which came from Filton and refuelled at Damascus landed at Sharjah Airport. The aircraft also made a short flight display over the city.

The BAe party was headed by Sir Geoffrey Tuttle, which received a great welcome, the whole party were also given watches and a few received magnificent swords as well.

It replaced RAF Sharjah which was closer to the city and was opened in 1932. It was the first airport in UAE and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, for use by Imperial Airways, and was subsequently used by the RAF until 14 December 1971.

The reason for the move was development pressure from the city of Sharjah. The old airport's runway is now part of King Abdul Aziz Street in the city centre.

The airport was used by the United States Air Force 926th Tactical Fighter Group during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Approximately 450 members of the unit were stationed at the airport, which flew A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft during the conflict in late 1990 and early 1991.

The airport resides at an elevation of 116 feet (35 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,060 m × 60 m (13,320 ft × 197 ft).

Financial services at the airport include banking, ATMs and exchange centres.

Founded in 1985, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) is owned by the Sharjah Airport Authority, Government of Sharjah and has 14 branches in the UAE, including one on the first floor of the main terminal at Sharjah Airport.

There are two prayer rooms available, one in the transit area of the Arrivals Terminal and the other in the ground floor of the Departures Terminal.

In addition to this there are mosques in both the East and West Cargo Terminals 3 and 4.

On 15 December 1997 a Tupolev Tu-154 from Tajik Air Flight 3183 crashed on approach to SHJ. Some 13 km from Sharjah the plane ran into terrain and 85 of the 86 occupants died. One of the seven crew members survived the disaster.

On 10 February 2004, Kish Air Flight 7170, operated by a Fokker 50 crashed on approach, killing 43 of its 46 occupants, which consisted of 3 crew and 40 passengers.

On 7 November 2004 a Boeing 747-230 freighter was damaged beyond repair due to an aborted take-off with insufficient runway remaining. None of the four crew were injured. The take-off was aborted after a report of smoke from the tower and hearing a loud bang in the cockpit.

On 21 October 2009, Azza Transport flight 2241, operated by a Boeing 707–320, crashed on take-off. The flight was carrying cargo only and all six crew members were killed.

On 3 September 2010, UPS Flight 6 developed an in-flight fire in the cargo hold and attempted to land at Sharjah after a previous unsuccessful attempt failing to land at Dubai International Airport, but lost control and crashed, killing the two crew members on board.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Air Arabia Total Exposure To Abraaj Group Is Only $336m

Sharjah low-cost carrier Air Arabia said on Wednesday its overall exposure of $336 million to ailing private equity firm Abraaj Group has no significant impact on the airline's operations or cash flow.

We would like to emphasise that there is no significant impact on Air Arabia’s daily or future business or on its liquidity status and the business is operating as usual, a spokeswoman for Air Arabia said.

The $336m exposure is through fund portfolios and short-term investments. Further updates on the matter will be made as and when available, the statement added.

On Tuesday, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands approved Abraaj’s application for a court supervised restructuring, enabling the buyout firm to re-order its liabilities and pursue the sale of its funds management business in the interest of the majority of stakeholders.

Air Arabia’s statement added that the carrier has, like other Abraaj creditors, appointed a party to represent its interests in court while the provisional liquidation is carried out.

Air Arabia’s stock price fell by more than 7 per cent on Monday amid news of its investment in Abraaj. Its share price continued to slide on Tuesday, although it ended the day flat. The stock continued to fluctuate on Wednesday and closed down 0.95 per cent.

As part of the Air Arabia Group investment portfolio, the carrier has an investment in Abraaj funds, an Air Arabia spokeswoman said in a statement on Monday.

Air Arabia has appointed a team of experts who are actively engaged with all stakeholders and creditors involved with the matter to ensure Air Arabia’s investment and business interest is protected.

The spokeswoman declined to say whether selling the stake in Abraaj is one option being explored, and Abraaj on Monday declined to comment on its connection with Air Arabia.

The Middle East’s biggest private equity company, which at its peak had more than $13.6 billion of assets under management, is facing allegations that it misused funds in a healthcare investment vehicle.

The $1bn Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund deployed capital from investors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, the UK’s CDC Group and Proparco Group of France.

These four out of a total 24 investors requested an audit of the health fund and engaged Ankura Consulting to find out what had happened to some of the money invested in the fund, according to an Abraaj spokesman. Abraaj denies any wrongdoing.

In its statement on Tuesday, Abraaj said the Cayman court also approved a request for a provisional liquidation of Abraaj’s fund management business, which Abraaj has been hoping to sell this year along with its stakes in other companies to resolve liquidity issues.

Air Arabia posted a 5 per cent rise in net profit for the first quarter of 2018, beating analysts' forecasts, on the back of strong demand and cost reduction.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Air Arabia Offers Tickets At So Low Cost

Sharjah-based Air Arabia is offering flight tickets from Sharjah to Beirut for as low as Dh450.

The Indian residents can fly to From Sharjah to Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram for Dh530 and Dh560 respectively.

Other Air Arabia flights to destinations to India are as follows

- From Sharjah to Coimbatore for Dh1010

- To Kochi for Dh700

- To Amman in Jordan for Dh830

- To Alexandria in Egypt for Dh658

Just in case you are not planning to take a holiday or visit your family in any of these destinations, then flydubai has fabulous offers to be availed for other destinations.

The airline is offering irresistible ticket prices to fabulous holiday destinations such as Georgia, Italy and Durbovnik.

The ticket prices are as follows

- Dubai to Batuni in Georgia for Dh900

- To Catania in Italy for Dh1,500

- To Durbovnik in Croatia for Dh1,200


Tourism Observer

UAE: Air Arabia Adds Third New Route In 2017, Sharjah To Hargeisa Somaliland

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has added its third permanent new international route from Sharjah this year with the addition of direct flights to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.

The airline now operates flights to over 130 destinations across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Asia, and Europe from its five international hubs.

Starting 4 July 2017, Hargeisa will be the tenth African destination served from its main hub at Sharjah International Airport (SHJ). The airline currently flys from Sharjah to Alexandria (HBE), Assiut (ATZ), Cairo (CAI), Sohag (HMB) and Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) in Egypt, Nairobi (NBO) in Kenya, Casablanca (CMN) and Tangier (TNG) in Morocco, and Khartoum (KRT) in Sudan.

The new flights to Hargeisa Egal International Airport (HGA), will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, departing Sharjah International Airport at 03:45 hours, and arriving at Hargeisa at 06:15 hours local time. The return flight will depart Hargeisa at 06:55 hours, landing in Sharjah at 11:25 hours local time.

This month, Air Arabia began operating twice weekly flights from Sharjah to Batumi, the second largest city of Georgia on the Black Sea. The airline launched four weekly flights from Sharjah to the Azarbajiani capital of Baku in March 2017.

The airline also launched a number of seasonal flights this year. In March and April Air Arabia launched a seasonal route between Iran’s Kermanshah airport and Sharjah on the occasion of ‘Nowruz’, the new Iranian year. Air Arabia is also operating a summer-season non-stop service to the historic Turkish port city of Trabzon beginning this month.

Air Arabia began operations in October 2003 from its main hub at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE and now has additional international hubs at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco, Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab International Airport in Egypt and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE.

More than 8.4 million passengers flew with Air Arabia in 2016, a 12 percent increase on the previous year, while more than 2.1 million passengers flew with the carrier between January and March 2017.


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QATAR: Airlines In Trouble As Gulf Crisis Continues. Who Is The Winner?

Qatar Airways has made Doha a global hub in just a few years, but barring it from Gulf states' airspace threatens its position as a major transcontinental carrier, experts say.

Along with its Gulf peers Dubai's Emirates Airlines and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Qatar's national carrier has captured a sizable portion of transit travel, capitalising on the Gulf's central geographic location.

But political differences between Qatar and neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Egypt, exploded last week into a full-blown regional crisis, including severing air links.

The measures meant cancelling dozens of daily flights by Qatar Airways and carriers from those countries, and also mean Qatari aircraft have to make long diversions, mainly around Bahrain and the vast airspace of Saudi Arabia.

The impact is already bad because it has driven up flight times and therefore costs. As the airspace tightens, the problem grows much worse,said aviation analyst Addison Schonland from the US-based AirInsight.

Operationally, this is a constraint for the airline that is almost certainly now seeing its profits cut deeply, he added.

Qatar is almost completely encircled by Bahraini airspace that covers a large part of Gulf waters, and its planes usually cross Saudi airspace on their way to the rest of the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Instead, Qatari planes are now using Iran's airspace to get to Europe and skirting the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula to avoid Saudi territory.

The flight time for a Qatar Airways trip to Sao Paulo in Brazil, for example, has increased by around two hours, according to flight detecting websites.

Flights to North Africa are now travelling over Iran and Turkey towards the Mediterranean, instead of flying more directly over Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

However, flights to Europe appear largely unaffected as they continue to use the Iran route, with a just small diversion to avoid Bahraini airspace.

The Islamic republic has opened its airspace to around 100 more Qatari flights daily, increasing Iranian air traffic by 17 percent.

For the future, Qatar flights' routes and fuel burn will be increased as a result of this.

Longer routes will bring passenger numbers down.

Future long-haul reservations will come down, because even with the high service and excellent amenities, who wants to sit for longer on an airplane?

About 90 percent of Qatar Airways traffic through Doha is transit, according to a report by CAPA Centre for Aviation.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE represent the two largest markets for Qatar Airways.

Losing these will no doubt be devastating to the carrier's financial bottom line, wiping out about 30 percent of revenue.

Qatar Airways is also the largest foreign carrier operating in the UAE, and the fifth overall after the country's own airlines, according to the CAPA report.

Part of this transit traffic is likely to be scooped up by Qatar Airways' regional competitors Emirates and Etihad, experts say.

No question about it. Especially Emirates because they have the A380 (superjumbo) capacity to catch the traffic without even a hiccup.

There is no doubt that Emirates and Etihad would surely be reaping the benefits. In the long term, the increased passenger loads on the other carriers may push up demand causing ticket prices to go up on the other carriers," said Bailey.

The two UAE carriers have wide global networks, and together with Qatar Airways have drawn the ire of European and US legacy carriers who accused them of benefiting from state subsidies to expand into their traditional markets.

But Emirates and Etihad, as well as other carriers from countries involved such as the UAE's flydubai and Air Arabia, will also lose out with the suspension of their Doha routes.

There can be few winners from the ban, according to the CAPA analysis.

Contrary to the argument that Emirates and Etihad might boost their numbers of transit passengers, CAPA argued that the ban affects the reputation of Gulf aviation in general.

The nuances of the ban are too particular for the public to understand, but the broader shadow it creates spreads widely, it said.

Amidst growing security concerns and the existing laptop ban, passengers are unlikely to dig in to the reason for this ban. Gulf aviation becomes less attractive for all, it added.

The United States and Britain banned laptop and tablet computers on flights from certain Middle Eastern and Turkish airports in March for security reasons.

MOROCCO: Air Arabia Maroc Starts Flights To Agadir

Air Arabia Maroc has announced it will launch flights from Manchester to Agadir this winter.

The Moroccan low cost airline will start twice weekly flights from October to the resort.

It makes Manchester the only airport in the UK outside of London served by the carrier.

Adel Al Ali, group chief executive, Air Arabia, said: “We look forward to connecting Manchester with Agadir and we are confident that this step will further cater to the needs of our growing customer base.

“Agadir offers a great tourism experience year around with its unique beaches, mountains, golf resorts and excellent dining options.”

The new service will operate on Thursdays and Sunday on an Airbus A320.

Stephen Turner, commercial director for Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great news that Air Arabia Maroc will start flights to Agadir from Manchester this winter.

“Agadir is a great beach resort that also offers fantastic access to the Atlas Mountains.

“This route will provide the 22 million people in our catchment area with further choice on how to reach this exciting destination.”

Royal Air Maroc has announced the launch of a new route between Manchester and Casablanca.

From Tuesday March 28th, the Moroccan flag-carrier will begin operating direct non-stop flights three times per week from Manchester Airport to Mohammed V International Airport.

The service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

This exciting launch sees Manchester Airport become only the third UK airport to operate flights to Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc, with the airline also currently running services from London Gatwick and London Heathrow.

The new service will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with both business and economy class seating available.

The scheduled flight time is approximately three hours and twenty minutes.

As well as offering direct flights from Manchester to Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc’s new service opens the door for connections to 33 African destinations.

Key connections through Casablanca, the second-largest hub to Africa, include Lagos, Accra, Nairobi and Banjul.

There is also an opportunity for flight connections to Brazil, as well as daily connecting flights to popular tourist destinations such as Marrakech and Agadir.

Royal Air Maroc serves over 90 destinations in four continents, bringing Africa closer to the rest of the world.

The airline’s UK & Ireland general manager, Achraf El Hassani, said: “Royal Air Maroc is delighted to launch the only non-stop service from the North of England direct to Casablanca, with thrice-weekly flights between Manchester Airport and Mohammed V International Airport.

“We are thrilled to be providing yet another invaluable link from the UK to Africa and look forward to welcoming passengers on board our service from March 28th.”

Manchester Airport is the UK’s third largest with more than 25.6m annual passengers.

It has more than 210 routes served by 70 plus airlines.

On the announcement of the Royal Air Maroc service, Stephen Turner, commercial director at Manchester Airport, said: “We are pleased to see Royal Air Maroc launch services from Manchester Airport.”

UAE: Sharjah Tourism Goes To India Travel Trade

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) took Sharjah’s tourism proposition to India’s travel trade this month, attending leading Indian international travel exhibitions in Mumbai and New Delhi.

The South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) in New Delhi event attracts 20,000 travel trade attendees, over 30 international tourism boards and more than 850 travel and tourism exhibitors, while OTM in Mumbai attracts over 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries and 10,000 members of the travel trade.

Led by the SCTDA, Sharjah’s participation in SATTE 2017 included Ramada Sharjah, Golden Tulip Sharjah, Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, Sharjah National Hotels, Air Arabia, SATA (Sharjah Airport Travel Agency), Cozmo Travels and Auras Tours.

According to tourism authority figures, India has emerged as the fourth largest market for global visitors to Sharjah and the SCTDA has led an ongoing marketing campaign targeting India’s outbound tourism over the past few years, attending key travel events and visiting cities across the country. According to the Indian Ministry of Tourism, 18.33 million Indians traveled overseas during 2014 and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) expects that Indian outbound travel could grow to 50 million by the year 2020.

Sharjah-headquartered budget airline Air Arabia, which launched operations in 2003, began developing the Indian market early on, adding 13 destinations throughout India by 2009. The airline now operates 112 flights between Sharjah and India per week and has offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur and Thriuvananthapuram.

IndiGo is the latest airline to introduce new India-Sharjah connections. The budget operator plans to begin daily non-stop Sharjah-Kozhikode (CCJ) flights from 20 March and daily non-stop Sharjah-Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) flights from 8 April.

Meanwhile, Air India Express, which added three new Sharjah routes last year, now operates 7 direct routes to Sharjah International Airport from Chandigarh (IXC), Kochi (COK), Kozhikode (CCJ), Mumbai (SAHAR), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), Tiruchirapalli (TRZ) and Varanasi (VNS). Competitor Jet Airways flies daily to Sharjah from Kozhikode, or Calicut (CCJ) and Kochi (COK), both in the south-west coast Indian state of Kerala.
Sharjah’s fast developing tourism sector, strategic location and strong business links with the subcontinent have made the emirate popular with Indian travelers.

Sharjah Airport Passenger Traffic Goes Highest

Sharjah International Airport registered a 10 percent year-on-year increase in passengers, handling 11 million passengers from January to December 2016. The airport passed the 10 million passenger mark for the first time in 2015, showing 5.5 percent growth.

Since then, the airport has continued to show strong growth.

Airport passengers increased 12 percent during the first quarter of 2016, 11 percent during Q2 and 13 percent during Q3, reaching one million passengers per month for the first time in August 2016.

Aircraft movements at Sharjah International Airport increased by 6 percent to 75,900 scheduled and non-scheduled movements in 2016 compared with 71,426 in 2015.

Sharjah International Airport’s growth has been driven by its strategic location, the success of Sharjah’s in-bound tourism industry and the expansion of Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia.

The airport’s ideal location, close to Sharjah city, Dubai city and the main highways connecting the country’s seven emirates, has made it a convenient hub for both business and leisure travelers.

Whilst Air Arabia hasn’t yet announced overall figures for 2016, the airline served over 2.27 million passengers during the first nine months of 2016, a 14 percent increase compared to the 2 million passengers during the same period of 2015.

The airline currently operates a fleet of 46 Airbus A320 aircraft offering flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries from five hubs across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Sharjah’s tourism industry has fared well during 2015 and 2016, despite global and regional economic pressures. Hotels and hotel apartments registered a 19 percent increase in room nights booked during the first nine months of 2016, totaling 2.94 million room nights, according to Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA).

The Authority’s tourism development strategy aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by year 2021.

Meanwhile, Gama Aviation continues to expand its fixed base operation (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport. The global business aviation services company announced plans for its new, purpose-built Sharjah FBO, scheduled to open in mid-2018.

The company has seen a 12 percent increase in aircraft traffic handled by its Sharjah hub during the past year and 33 percent growth in managed aircraft.

In 2014, Sharjah airport opened a new super-jumbo capable AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity. More recently, the airport has introduced 16 smart gates to its arrival and departure halls, facilities for disabled passengers, a new automated baggage management system, plus a facilities for handling pharma and healthcare cargo.

The airport has also begun construction of an additional bridge for passengers.

Sharjah International Airport’s expansion and development falls in-line with its goal to serve 25 million passengers by the year 2025.

UAE: Air Arabia To Fly To Baku In March

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, plans to launch a new service from Sharjah to Baku in Azarbajian next month, which is expected to be the airline’s first route launch of the year.

Beginning 23 March 2017, Air Arabic will operate four weekly flights from its main hub at Sharjah International Airport to Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. The addition of the new route follows an agreement between Air Arabia, Azarbajian Airlines and Azarbajiani authorities aimed at promoting connections between Baku and Sharjah.

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan’s largest city is also the largest city on the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region. Famed for its medieval walled old city and cultural status, Baku is the scientific, industrial and financial centre of Azerbaijan. The city recently received global attention after hosting the European Grand Prix (now renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix).

Air Arabia added 9 new routes to its global network in 2016 from its five operating hubs in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. The airline added new services from its main Sharjah hub to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to Batumi in Georgia.

Reportedly, Air Arabia also has plans to launch a new service to Ahvaz in the southwest of Iran, subject to approvals from Ahvaz International Airport. Air Arabia already operates direct flights from Sharjah to 6 destinations in Iran; Abadan, Isfahan, Lar, Mashhad, Shiraz and Tehran.

Air Arabia currently serves over 120 routes from its five operational hubs.

UAE: Sharjah Airport Expansion Approved

The Government of Sharjah has approved the US$400 million (AED 1.46b) budget for the expansion of Sharjah International Airport, according to MEED (Middle East Economic Digest), quoting Adel Abdullah Ali, Air Arabia’s Chief Executive Officer.

According to the airline CEO, the expansion project is expected to begin this summer and will increase airport capacity from 8 to 18 million passengers a year.

A master plan for the expansion of the airport was submitted by American engineering firm Bechtel in 2013, recommending a new terminal, construction of new roads around the airport, plus additional services such as a new hotel and a shopping mall.

In 2014, Sharjah International Airport opened a new AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway, significantly expanding the airport’s aircraft capacity.

The new runway allows large and new-generation ICAO Code F aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeings B747-8 Intercontinental and B747-8 freighter. The old runway now serves as a taxiway.

The airport handled 11 million passengers from January to December 2016, registering a 10 percent year-on-year increase on 2015. In January 2017, the airport handled 969,633 passengers, showing a 4 percent increase on January last year.

Sharjah International Airport’s growth has been driven by its strategic location, the success of Sharjah’s in-bound tourism industry and the expansion of Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia.

The airport’s ideal location, close to Sharjah city, Dubai city and the main highways connecting the country’s seven emirates, has made it a convenient hub for both business and leisure travelers.

UAE: Air Arabia Confirms Five Airbus A320s

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia PJSC (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has confirmed options for five additional Airbus A320 aircraft. The delivery of original contract covering 44 firm orders and 5 options will be completed in 2017.

The five new Airbus A320 aircraft will be put into service starting second quarter 2017 backlog and have a book value of US$485 million. These new aircraft will join Air Arabia’s expanding fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft currently serving over 120 routes from five operational hubs.

Air Arabia has been constantly rewarded over the past years with the A320 Family Operational Excellence Award by Airbus for achieving the highest level of A320 family aircraft utilisation in the world with 99.8 percent operational reliability. In 2010, the carrier set a new world record achieving 30,000 flight hours in just six years with one of its CFM56-5B-powered A320 aircraft.

Founded in Sharjah, Air Arabia began operations in 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 46 Airbus A320 aircraft offering flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries from five hubs across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family in the world.

MALAYSIA: AirAsia has been named the World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline

AirAsia has been named the World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth year in a row and its maiden title as the World's Leading Inflight Service at the 23rd World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final held in Male, Maldives.

Asia's largest low-cost carrier beat contenders from five continents to secure the award, including Ryanair, easyJet, Jetstar Airways, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Norwegian, Kulula, Mango, fastjet, flydubai, Air Arabia, flynas and West Air. "What a thrill to win World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth straight year.

It's a great honour to round out what has been a great year for AirAsia, not just financially but in terms of recognition from the industry," Group Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said today. AirAsia also won the World's Leading Inflight Service title for the first time ever, beating full-service carriers Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines and Air Canada.

The win builds on AirAsia's success earlier this year when it secured Asia's Leading Inflight Service award from WTA for the first time. "I’m also super proud of our first World’s Leading Inflight Service award. I've always said we have amazing crew and amazing inflight products, and we've proven it by beating not one, not two, not three, but eight full-service carriers for the prize," he said in a statement.

He said there are more to come for AirAsia as the airline is always working on more innovations, and not just for inflight. "Right now, we are exploring ways to make the airport experience better. One thing we're looking at is fast-tracking guests who share their travel profile with immigration authorities.

We expect to run the trial at selected airports in Asean in the not-too-distant future, so keep an eye out for it," he said. The WTA serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, as chosen by thousands of travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers.

Airlines are judged on customer satisfaction and service quality, overall business performance, product innovation, staff relations and development, corporate social responsibility and contribution to local community, commitment to sustainable policies and fulfillment of long-term corporate vision. AirAsia is Asia's leading low-cost carrier, with an extensive network of more than 120 destinations in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa.

It is also the only airline to fly direct to all 10 Asean countries, including some 60 unique routes in the region. AirAsia was also named World's Best Low-Cost Airline for the eighth year in a row at the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards in July. --Bernama

UAE: Air Arabia Confirms Options For Five Airbus A320s

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia PJSC (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has confirmed options for five additional Airbus A320 aircraft. The delivery of original contract covering 44 firm orders and 5 options will be completed in 2017.

The five new Airbus A320 aircraft will be put into service starting second quarter 2017 backlog and have a book value of US$485 million. These new aircraft will join Air Arabia’s expanding fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft currently serving over 120 routes from five operational hubs.

Air Arabia has been constantly rewarded over the past years with the A320 Family Operational Excellence Award by Airbus for achieving the highest level of A320 family aircraft utilisation in the world with 99.8 percent operational reliability. In 2010, the carrier set a new world record achieving 30,000 flight hours in just six years with one of its CFM56-5B-powered A320 aircraft.

Founded in Sharjah, Air Arabia began operations in 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 46 Airbus A320 aircraft offering flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries from five hubs across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family in the world.

Air Arabia Feels Increase In Passengers

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia PJSC (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has reported a 14 percent increase in passenger numbers, carrying 4.1 million passengers during the first six months of 2016, compared with 3.6 million during the same period of 2015. The airline also announced a 3.5 percent increase in net profit, compared with a 4 percent drop in net profit in H1 2015.

Despite regional economic uncertainties resulting from lower oil prices, the airlines turnover for the first six months of 2016 grew 5.5 percent, reaching AED 1.84 billion (US$ 0.5b), compared to AED 1.75 billion (US$ 0.48b) in the corresponding period last year.

Air Arabia had a strong start to 2016, checking-in more than 2.1 million passengers during the first quarter of the year, up 17 percent on the first quarter of 2015. In the second quarter of 2016, the airline flew over 2 million passengers, increasing 12 per cent on Q2 2015. The airline’s average seat load factor (passengers carried as a percentage of available seats) stood at 81 percent in the first quarter, 78 per cent in the second quarter and 79 percent overall during the first half of the year.

The budget carrier’s home base, Sharjah International Airport, registered a 12 percent increase in overall passenger traffic over the first six months of 2016, with a total of 5.35 million passengers passed through the airport from January to June 2016, compared to 4.79 million in the same period last year. Passenger numbers handled by Sharjah airport exceeded 10 million for the first time during 2015.

Air Arabia added five new international routes since the beginning of 2016, now operating flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe from its five international hubs in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. The airline was named ‘Best Low-cost Airline serving the Middle East’ at this year’s Business Traveller Middle East Awards.

KENYA: More Airlines To Fly Tourists To Coast

New airlines set to bring tourists to Coast A number of airlines from Arab states have shown interest in flying to Mombasa, tourism officials have revealed.

Heritage Group of Hotels CEO Mohamed Hersi said yesterday that already, low-cost carrier Fly Dubai has received a licence to start flights to Mombasa. “This news cannot have come at a more opportune time than this when Kenyan tourism is in the recovery phase.
We hope to see traffic loads from the potential rich Gulf region with flights operated by Fly Dubai,” Mr Hersi said.

He was addressing a tourism consultative forum organised by Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), Coast branch, at the Voyager Beach Resort and Spa.

Hersi said other airlines that could begin flying to Mombasa included award winning Emirates Airlines whose top managers were in Mombasa recently at the invitation of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, and Air Arabia. “We will not sit pretty but will continue lobbying for more scheduled flights to touch down in Mombasa as we seek to grow our tourism numbers,” said Hersi, who is also the chairman of Kenya Coast Tourist Association.

UAE: Sharjah Airport Experiences 12% More Passengers

Commercial passenger traffic at Sharjah International Airport increased by 11.55 percent during the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 2015, according to Sharjah Airport Authority. A total of 5.35 million passengers passed through the airport from January to June 2016, compared to 4.79 million in the same period last year.

Aircraft movements at Sharjah airport increased by 5.74 percent from 34,270 take-offs and landings during the first six months of 2015 to more than 36,237 during the same period of 2016. The freight handled for the same period of this year recorded 92,000 tons.

Sharjah International Airport’s passenger growth is underpinned by the ongoing expansion of Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa. The airline has expanded its route network to more than 120 destinations, launching five new international routes since the beginning of 2016, including two new routes from its Sharjah hub.

Sharjah International Airport is already a hub for a number of international passenger and cargo airlines including Air Arabia, Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways (India), Qatar Airways, SpiceJet (India) and Sri Lankan Airlines. Turkish airline AtlasGlobal launched a new daily service between Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and Sharjah International Airport earlier this year, while Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will add a new daily route from Mangaluru (Mangalore) in southern India to Sharjah from 7 August 2016.

Business aviation services company Gama Aviation has also expanded its fixed base operation (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport, establishing its own executive aviation terminal and investing in a new maintenance hangar. The company’s private aviation services in Sharjah are highly competitive with other hubs around the region.

Sharjah airport added a new super-jumbo capable AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway in 2014, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025. Total passenger numbers passing through the airport topped 10 million for the first time during 2015, growing at a rate of 5.5 percent over 2014.

INDIA: Jet Airways to launch daily Mangalore-Sharjah flights

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, has announced that it will launch a new daily route from Mangaluru (Mangalore) in southern India to Sharjah in the UAE from 7 August 2016. Mangaluru is the main port city of Karnataka, India’s twelfth largest state by population.

Jet Airways is India’s second largest airline operating flights to 73 destinations, including 22 international flights and 51 domestic flights. Beginning in August, the Indian carrier will fly daily from Mangaluru at 9.30am, arriving in Sharjah International Airport at 11.45am local time. Return flights will leave Sharjah at 12.45pm and reach Mangaluru at 5.55pm. Jet already operates daily direct flights from Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala to Sharjah.

India is well connected to Sharjah, with international low cost airline Air India Express operating flights to the emirate from six Indian destinations and Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia operating flights between Sharjah and 13 key Indian destinations.

The UAE is a popular business and tourism destination for India, which currently ranks as the Emirates’ third largest trade partner after China and the USA. Indian investment in the UAE is estimated at about US$ 52 billion (AED 190b), with India being the largest single origin of investors for Sharjah’s Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah International Airport Free Zone (SAIF Zone). SAIF Zone organised an extensive marketing roadshow in India over the early part of this year to target Indian investors.

Sharjah International Airport, registered a 12 percent increase in overall passenger traffic during the first three months of 2016, with a record 2.7 million passengers being handled by the airport, compared with 2.4 million during the first quarter of 2015. Total passenger numbers passing through Sharjah airport topped 10 million for the first time during 2015.

Air Arabia Launches Fifth Route This Year

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia PJSC (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has added five new international routes since the beginning of 2016. The airline now operates flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Asia, and Europe from its five international hubs.

This month, Air Arabia began operating twice weekly flights from Sharjah to Batumi, the second largest city of Georgia on the Black Sea. The carrier launched a new route from Fez (Morocco) to Toulouse (France) during February 2016, followed by the opening of new routes from Sharjah to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in March, plus new routes from Marrakesh (Morocco) to Pau (France) and from Amman (Jordan) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in April.

Air Arabia began operations in October 2003 from its main hub at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE and now has additional international hubs at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco, Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab International Airport in Egypt and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE.

More than 7.6 million passengers flew with Air Arabia in 2015, a 12 percent increase on the previous year. The airline also had a strong start to 2016, carrying more than 2.1 million passengers between January and March 2016, up 17 percent on the same period last year.

The budget carrier’s home base, Sharjah International Airport, registered a 12 percent increase in overall passenger traffic during the first three months of 2016, with a record 2.7 million passengers being handled by the airport, compared with 2.4 million during the first quarter of 2015. Total passenger numbers passing through Sharjah airport topped 10 million for the first time during 2015.

UAE: Sharjah Airport Passengers Rise By 12%

Commercial passenger traffic at Sharjah International Airport increased by 11.55 percent during the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 2015, according to Sharjah Airport Authority. A total of 5.35 million passengers passed through the airport from January to June 2016, compared to 4.79 million in the same period last year.

Aircraft movements at Sharjah airport increased by 5.74 percent from 34,270 take-offs and landings during the first six months of 2015 to more than 36,237 during the same period of 2016. The freight handled for the same period of this year recorded 92,000 tons.

Sharjah International Airport’s passenger growth is underpinned by the ongoing expansion of Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa. The airline has expanded its route network to more than 120 destinations, launching five new international routes since the beginning of 2016, including two new routes from its Sharjah hub.

Sharjah International Airport is already a hub for a number of international passenger and cargo airlines including Air Arabia, Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways (India), Qatar Airways, SpiceJet (India) and Sri Lankan Airlines. Turkish airline AtlasGlobal launched a new daily service between Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and Sharjah International Airport earlier this year, while Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will add a new daily route from Mangaluru (Mangalore) in southern India to Sharjah from 7 August 2016.

Business aviation services company Gama Aviation has also expanded its fixed base operation (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport, establishing its own executive aviation terminal and investing in a new maintenance hangar. The company’s private aviation services in Sharjah are highly competitive with other hubs around the region.

Sharjah airport added a new super-jumbo capable AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway in 2014, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025. Total passenger numbers passing through the airport topped 10 million for the first time during 2015, growing at a rate of 5.5 percent over 2014.

UAE: Air Arabia Launches More Routes This Year

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia PJSC , the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has added five new international routes since the beginning of 2016. The airline now operates flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Asia, and Europe from its five international hubs.

This month, Air Arabia began operating twice weekly flights from Sharjah to Batumi, the second largest city of Georgia on the Black Sea. The carrier launched a new route from Fez (Morocco) to Toulouse (France) during February 2016, followed by the opening of new routes from Sharjah to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in March, plus new routes from Marrakesh (Morocco) to Pau (France) and from Amman (Jordan) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in April.

Air Arabia began operations in October 2003 from its main hub at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE and now has additional international hubs at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco, Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab International Airport in Egypt and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE.

More than 7.6 million passengers flew with Air Arabia in 2015, a 12 percent increase on the previous year. The airline also had a strong start to 2016, carrying more than 2.1 million passengers between January and March 2016, up 17 percent on the same period last year.

The budget carrier’s home base, Sharjah International Airport, registered a 12 percent increase in overall passenger traffic during the first three months of 2016, with a record 2.7 million passengers being handled by the airport, compared with 2.4 million during the first quarter of 2015. Total passenger numbers passing through Sharjah airport topped 10 million for the first time during 2015.