15 July 2020: Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a low cost carrier, joint venture between Etihad Airways and Air Arabia marked its inaugural flight to Alexandria, Egypt. The flight took off from Abu Dhabi International Airport which also serves as the airline’s hub. The second flight will take off on the 15th of July 2020 to Nile city of Sohag. The launch ceremony was attended by senior leadership teams of Etihad Aviation Group, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Air Arabia, and Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi among other guests.
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We are proud to launch Air Arabia Abu Dhabi operations today with the first flight to Alexandria. This joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia will offer the nation’s citizens and residents a great new option for air travel from the UAE’s vibrant capital city. We look forward to expanding our codeshare partnership to provide more connections to and from Etihad’s global network onto Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s growing list of destinations”
Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are pleased to witness Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s first flight and commencement of operations as the UAE capital’s first low-cost carrier. Abu Dhabi International Airport, with its innovative health and safety technology, is well positioned to cater to the emirate’s growing aviation and tourism industries including the increasingly popular low-cost air travel sector. We are looking forward to introducing passengers travelling aboard Air Arabia Abu Dhabi to our own unique brand of Arabian hospitality and a seamless travel experience.”
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are delighted for the launch of Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s first flight and we thank all partners who supported us in achieving today’s milestone. We look forward to expanding Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s destination network as more airports open up while providing our customers with a new value-for-money option to travel from and into the capital.”
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has started its operations with two Airbus A320 aircraft based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, offering the same value-for-money product and services provided by Sharjah-based Air Arabia.
The carrier follows the business model of Air Arabia and complements the services of Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi thereby catering to the growing low-cost travel market segment in the region.
