Air Arabia passenger traffic grows 22% in October

Air Arabia, described as the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the MENA, said it welcomed 458,316 passengers in October 2012, an increase of over 22 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2011.
The airline also reported that the average seat load factor — passengers as a percentage of total seats available — for the month stood at 80 percent, registering an increase of three percent over the figure for October 2011.
“Combined with the Eid Al-Adha break, which is a busy period for air travel across the region, October has seen Air Arabia adding a set of new routes,” said Air Arabia’s Group CEO Adel Ali.
“As we continue expanding into new markets, more customers continue to take full advantage of Air Arabia’s affordable fares, demonstrating Air Arabia’s proven business model and product offering.”
Air Arabia recently added six new destinations to its ever-growing network — Erbil in Iraq, Uffa and Rostov in Russia, Odessa in Ukraine, Pristina in Kosovo and Astana in Kazakhstan.
The carrier also expanded operations from its Moroccan hub and launched new flights between Morocco and London, bringing Air Arabia’s global network to reach 81 destinations.