Record 2005 for Sharjah's Air Arabia

Sharjah-based low cost airline, Air Arabia has reported record numbers for 2005.

Air Arabia’s Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani said, “Air Arabia has revolutionised the travel industry in this region and our financial results and operating performance are proof of this, with our 2005 results showing a profit of AED 32.1 million. We have brought air travel into the reach of millions across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Subcontinent and will continue to offer our customers what they want; affordable fares to many more destinations.”

Some highlights of Air Arabia’s 2005 financial results include:

Profit of AED 32.1 million.
Record passenger numbers of 1,132,912, 122% higher than 2004. 
Expansion to 23 destinations, a growth of 53% from 2004.
9412 flights operated, showing a growth of 90% from 2004.
Improved employee productivity of over 11% from 2004.

Air Arabia’s CEO Adel Ali added, “Our competitive strength is clearly demonstrated by these spectacular results, despite major challenges faced by the aviation industry over the last year including continued rising fuel prices. We will introduce further innovative initiatives this year to drive our business forward whilst controlling our cost base ruthlessly. Air Arabia now has the size, scale and frequency to truly address the needs of travellers in this region and beyond, and we are determined to bring even greater value to air travel.”

Current Air Arabia destinations include Aleppo and Damascus (Syria); Alexandria, Assiut, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt); Aqaba and Amman (Jordan); Astana and Almaty (Kazakhstan); Bahrain; Beirut (Lebanon); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh (KSA), Doha (Qatar); Khartoum (Sudan); Kuwait; Mumbai and Nagpur (India); Muscat (Oman); Sana’a (Yemen); Sharjah (UAE) and Tehran (Iran).

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