Air Arabia’s business growing 3-4pc YoY in Bangladesh: Group CEO
Dhaka: Bangladesh is one of the key markets of Air Arabia in the region with a 3-4 per cent year-on-year business growth, said Adel Abdullah Ali, Group CEO of the first and the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa during a press meet at a hotel in the capital on February 15.
Air Arabia has been successfully doing business in Bangladesh since 2007. The airline currently operates 57 weekly flights between Bangladesh and the UAE, 37 to Dhaka (32 from Sharjah and 5 from Abu Dhabi) and 20 to Chattogram (17 from Sharjah and 3 from Abu Dhabi).
These are among the key routes of Air Arabia in the region, mentioned the Group CEO at the press meet which also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the airline’s global operations. The airline provides value-added air travel options to Bangladeshi travellers for both leisure and business purposes while contributing to further strengthen business, trade and tourism ties between Bangladesh and the UAE, further shared the Group CEO.
Air Arabia started its operations in 2003 by introducing the low-cost business model to the Middle East and North Africa region in effort to make air travel affordable and open it to all segments of flyers in the region, informed Adel.
The Group CEO also informed, the encouraging business and operational growth in the Bangladesh market could lead to further increase of flights to and from Bangladesh depending on the circumstances.
The airline currently owns and operates a total fleet of 73 Airbus A320s and A321s with further orders of 120 Airbus A320s. It is amongst the world's best-performing airlines in terms of operational efficiency and profitability, claimed Adel.
The multi-hub airline has seven strategic hubs across UAE, Morocco, Egypt, Armenia and Pakistan, serving over 190 international and domestic routes in more than 50 countries, said the Group CEO, adding, the airline, however, does not intend to establish a hub in Bangladesh at the moment.
He further informed, earlier, travellers from Bangladesh, especially the migrant workers, could visit their families back home once in every three years. However, now, thanks to Air Arabia’s low fares, the migrant workers can visit their country three times a year.
It may be mentioned here, this was the first visit of a Group CEO of Air Arabia to Bangladesh in its 17 years of operation in the country. Rajesh Nurala, Regional General Manager of Air Arabia and Abdur Rahim, Chief Executive Officer of MGH, Air Arabia’s GSA in Bangladesh were also present at the press meet.
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