Air Arabia receives its first Airbus aircraft in 2012

 

The airline has now received nine of the 44 A320 aircraft, supposedly recognised as the benchmark for single-aisle aircraft, which it had ordered from Airbus in 2007.

 

Air Arabia expects that six more aircraft will be delivered later in 2012. Once completed in 2016, the delivery of the 44 A320 aircraft will more than double the size of Air Arabia's existing fleet, bringing the airline's total operating fleet to over 50 aircraft.

The carrier received its latest A320 at the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, and the new aircraft has gone straight into service across Air Arabia's global network of 70 destinations, which it serves from three hubs in the UAE, Morocco, and Egypt.

"We are pleased to receive our ninth aircraft on-time and as per the fleet plan schedule we have set back in 2007," said group CEO, Air Arabia, Adel Ali.

"In just eight years, Air Arabia has grown to become a leading regional airline with a fleet of 30 aircraft and a strong network of destinations. We look forward to the delivery of five more aircraft this year as we continue to unlock opportunities for the low-cost model in the MENA region and beyond."

It has been reported that that all Air Arabia aircraft cabin interiors are fitted with world-class comfort seats, offering the highest seat pitch of any economy cabin across the globe.

 

Air Arabia's strong operational performance continues to reinforce its leadership position in the Middle East's low-cost carrier sector. The carrier served 4.7 million passengers in 2011, representing a six per cent year-on-year increase. The carrier's seat load factor – or passengers carried as a percentage of available seats – stood at 82 per cent for the full year 2011.