Middle East travelers on a budget may know Air Arabia by name, but the airline is still relatively unknown compared to other Middle Eastern carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways and El Al. Nonetheless, Air Arabia has been a profitable airline since its inception in 2003.
Air Arabia is one of a number of worldwide carriers that operates on a "budget" model, offering short- to medium-range services, with few amenities, for a low price.
Air Arabia began operating in 2003 as the first low-cost airline in the Middle East. The airline carried 500,000 passengers in its first year of service, reaching 16 destinations. Air Arabia won the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Travel Award for best airline in 2005, 2007 and 2008. As of 2010, Air Arabia was the only low-cost airline to win this award.
The company was IPOed on the Dubai Financial Market in April 2007, eventually selling 55 percent of its stock.
Air Arabia exclusively operates Airbus A320s in its fleet. The A320 is the best-selling aircraft in the world and a popular aircraft for short-haul flights. The Airbus A320 was also one of the pioneering aircraft to use fly-by-wire technology on the flight deck, replacing manual controls with electronics and sophisticated flight control computers.
Air Arabia's configuration of the A320 is capable of carrying 162 passengers plus crew.
Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates is the airline's hub. As of 2010, Air Arabia serves over 45 destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Northern Africa and Europe. Air Arabia flies as far as Bangladesh to the east and Russia to the north.
In addition to Air Arabia's parent company, the airline also runs subsidiaries in Egypt, Morocco and Nepal.
As a relatively new airline, Air Arabia has not been involved in many safety incidents. In April 2010, a flight from Sharjah International Airport to Bangladesh was diverted to Pakistan when a smoke alarm in one of the cargo holds gave a false reading.
In addition to operating the airline, the Air Arabia Group also manages the Air Arabia Centro, a low-cost hotel in Sharjah International Airport. The hotel was conceptualized as a way to complement Air Arabia's travel services. Air Arabia also runs a charity called Charity Cloud, which disburses funds to needy countries served by the airline.
