By Akram Medhat
Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced that it has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo-LR aircraft, becoming the first airline in the region to operate this aircraft type.
The new aircraft flew non-stop from the Airbus facility in the German city of Hamburg to Sharjah International Airport. It is the first of 6 aircraft of the same type to be added to the company's fleet, which currently comprises 53 modern Airbus A320 aircraft serving more than 155 destinations worldwide from the company's four operating hubs in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt.
The new aircraft will enable the company to add medium-range flights to its network of destinations, allowing it to expand the reach of its routes and boost its passenger capacity.
For his part, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said the new Airbus aircraft will enable the company to expand its services to include new destinations while maintaining our low-cost business model, and we look forward to receiving the remaining aircraft agreed upon in 2019, stressing the provision of value-added services on board the company's flights.
The new aircraft is powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines and seats 215 passengers, in addition to the new cabin interior equipped with the latest technologies, which Air Arabia launched as part of the new corporate identity it unveiled last October. The cabin features a new seat design that provides maximum comfort with generous space between seats, a feature the company has long been known for because of its strong commitment to passenger comfort.
The "A321neo LR" builds on the success of the A320neo and stands out for its flexibility as the longest-range single-aisle aircraft, enabling airlines to serve destinations that were not previously available.
The Air Arabia group has developed into a public joint-stock company listed on the Dubai Financial Market and comprises several companies providing travel and tourism services around the world. It is the first and largest low-cost airline in the Middle East and North Africa, and began operating flights in October 2003.
