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Air Arabia (G9) company Sharjah

List of Air Arabia flights - destinations and routes operated by Air Arabia out of Sharjah.

• Air Arabia is a "no-frills" budget airline or Low-Cost-Carrier (LCC) which flies from Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) in the UAE.
• Air Arabia has additional hubs in Morocco (Rabat), Egypt, and Jordan. Beirut was speculated by one consultancy as another hub city, to be launched in 2009. Air Arabia also had a hub in Nepal (Kathmandu) in a tie-up with flyyeti.com from January to June 2008.
• In Feb 2014, Air Arabia became the designated airline to operate out of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE after RAK Airways suspended all services in Jan 2014. Which sort of makes RAK Airport another hub for Sharjah, although the airport is close enough to Sharjah and so far from RAK city center that one wonders what the point is. Avoiding Sharjah traffic jams is perhaps the main benefit for RAK residents.
• Air Arabia does not have flights from Dubai Airport (DXB), but Air Arabia Egypt does fly to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) from Alexandria (start date 12 July 2010).
• If travelling from Dubai to Sharjah airport, allow at least 100-200 dhs each way in a taxi (300-400 dhs from Abu Dhabi).
• Air Arabia routes are concentrated around the Middle East and Asia, with destinations in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan (Khazakstan), Kuwait, Lebanon, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Yemen.
• January 2008, Air Arabia launched a tie-up with Yeti Airlines in Nepal (flyyeti.com) for more low-cost air travel.
• Air Arabia's first European flight to Athens, Greece started 21 April 2009.
• As of April 2009, Air Arabia has 46 flight destinations including their new Goa and Athens flights.
• Air Arabia have their own hotel next to Sharjah Airport, the Air Arabia Centro Hotel, 3 stars, open April 2010.

Travelling with Air Arabia

• Travelling on Air Arabia is less comfortable than travelling on the other UAE based airlines - Emirates Airlines or Etihad Airways - as you would expect from a budget airline.
• Seats are locked in the upright position with less space between them, you have to pay for drinks and food on board (and there's a limited range - bring your own sandwiches).
• If there is a delay or cancelled flight then don't expect much in the way of help, and changing ticket dates is difficult and/or costly.
• However, if you book more than a few weeks in advance then you do get good deals on ticket prices. Remember that quoted prices are usually one way so you'll need to double them to get return trip prices, and add a few hundred dirhams for various airport taxes.
• For bookings close to the travel date, Air Arabia flights are more expensive, sometimes not that much different compared to a more comfortable airline.

Air Arabia check in at locations other than Sharjah International Airport

• Dubai check-in at Lamcy Plaza, ground floor - open 0900-2200, early check in from 3hrs to 24hrs before flight departure time, Air Arabia bus from Lamcy Plaza to Sharjah Airport. Starting September 2012?
• *Ras Al Khaimah (RAK)
• Sharjah City Check-In Terminal at Safeer Mall, Sharjah on Al Ittihad Road (Sharjah Dubai highway), opening announced 24 Nov 2013. Operating times 0900-2200 daily. Air Arabia passengers can check bags in and receive boarding passes between 24 and 4 hours before flight departure time. Checked luggage will be delivered to Sharjah Airport. An express shuttle bus service will operate from Sharjah to the airport 4x daily, trip cost AED 10.

Air Arabia tickets, bookings and payments from..

• Online from the Air Arabia website
• At branches of Emirates Post offices
• Dubai Islamic Bank - internet banking, mobile and phone banking, ATMs, and cash deposit machines

Air Arabia list of flights, routes, destination cities

• Moved to Air Arabia flights page.

Air Arabia bus service RAK to Sharjah

• Moved to Air Arabia flights page.

Air Arabia history and significant dates

• 19 Oct 2014 - Air Arabia announced their 100th destination with a spelling error "Tiblisi is Air Arabia's 100th global destination", referring to Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. Flights start 28 Oct 2014.
• 02 Feb 2014 - Air Arabia and the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) announced an agreement making Air Arabia the designated carrier to operate flights from RAK International Airport. This follows the suspension of RAK Airways operations on 01 Jan 2014.
• 16 Jul 2012 - Air Arabia was named the second best airline in the Aviation Week (an industry magazine) annual Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) Study, based on financial and operating performance. First place went to AirAsia with a score of 81 (maximum is 99, AirArabia was awarded 78). The top ten spots went to (in order, with score in brackets): 1. AirAsia (81), 2. Air Arabia (78), 3. Ryanair (78), 4. Hainan Airlines(77), 5. Allegiant Air (77), 6. TransAsia Airways (72), 7. Vueling Airlines (72), 8. Copa Airlines (71), 9. Singapore Airlines (70), 10. WestJet Airlines (69).
• 28 Dec 2011 - Air Arabia won the Best Low Cost Carrier - International award at the TAAI Travel Awards 2011 (Travel Agents Association of India) (press release 28 December 2011).
• 02 Aug 2010 - Air Arabia wins "Leading Low Cost Airline Middle East" award at the World Travel Awards (press release).
• 21 Jul 2010 - Air Arabia announces at the Farnborough Air Show an order of CFM56-5B engines for the order of 44 Airbus A320 aircraft announced in 2007. Order value at list price is over AED 2.275 billion (US$620 million). Air Arabia also signed a multi-year Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) service agreement for its CFM56-5B fleet.
• 09 Sep 2009 - Air Arabia announces a third hub in Egypt in a partnership with Travco Group in Egypt. Air Arabia Sharjah will have a 40% stake.
• 29 Apr 2009 - Air Arabia launches Air Arabia (Maroc), operating out of a second hub in Casablanca.
• 13 Apr 2009 - Air Arabia wins the "Best Middle East Low Cost Carrier" award in the Skytrax 2009 World Airline Awards. Air Arabia won the same award in 2008 and 2007 also.
• 03 Nov 2008 - Air Arabia Maroc will start flights from Casablanca, Morocco in early 2009.
• 29 Jun 2008 - FlyYeti announces suspension of flights from mid-July 2008.
• 20 Jan 2008 - Air Arabia hub in Nepal launched with flyyeti.com.
• 17 Nov 2007 - Air Arabia wins the "Low Cost Carrier of the Year" award at the Skytrax Aviation Business Awards 2007. Air Arabia had also won the 2007 "Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East".
• 17 Jul 2007 - Air Arabia listed on the Dubai Financial Market.
• 19 Jun 2007 - Air Arabia incorporation date as a public company.
• 18-27 Mar 2007 - Air Arabia Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its shares.
• 28 Jun 2005 - millionth passenger carried since launch.
• 05 May 2005 - receives silver award for best MENA airline.
• 28 Oct 2003 - Air Arabia first flight launched from Sharjah to Bahrain.
• 03 Feb 2003 - Air Arabia incorporation date as a limited liability company.
• 28 Jan 2003 - Air Arabia established in Sharjah by Royal Amiri Decree.
• Oct 2002 - Air Arabia concept initiated.

Air Arabia management and personnel

• Chairman of Air Arabia is Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Adel Ali

Air Arabia numbers and data

Year¹	Revenue	Profit	Aircraft	Destinations	Flights/week	Passengers	Load factor	Cargo	Pilots	Cabin crew	Staff	Nationalities
2016			50
2012			36
2011			29	70		4.7 million	82%
2010
2009³			16	44
2008		510m				3.6 million
2007		282m	11			2.7 million
2006	749m	101m
2005	411m	32m				1.1 million
2004		21m	5	15		534,000
2003²				5	16

1. Figures are as of 31 December where appropriate (number of aircraft, destinations, flights, staff), other figures are for the 12 month period ending 31 December. Profit and revenue figures are in UAE dirhams. Destinations usually include flights from Air Arabia hubs in locations other than Sharjah.
2. Air Arabia started operations in October 2003 so data are not for a full year
3. Figures as of 13 April 2009. Figures in italics are estimates for the full year. Update June 2009 - fleet size up to 22 aircraft.

Information sources are Air Arabia press releases, financial statements, WAM or other news agency reports.

• 05 March 2012 (press release) - 30th A320 delivered to Air Arabia, and the first one in 2012. Another 5 aircraft expected to be delivered in 2012. Air Arabia ordered 44 A320s in 2007, of which 9 have been delivered as of press release date, and delivery of the other 35 expected to be complete by 2016, with total of 50 aircraft in operation by then. An earlier (rather optimistic as it turns out) forecast was for Air Arabia to have 100 aircraft in operation by 2014.

Air Arabia hubs

• Egypt - Borg Al Arab International Airport, Alexandria.
• [Proposed] Jordan - Amman.
• Morocco - Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca.
• [Speculated] Saudi Arabia, Oct 2013 news reports.
• [Speculated] Turkey - Istanbul, Oct 2013 news reports.
• UAE - Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) airports. Possibly Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai (DWC) one day.

Air Arabia Travco Egypt third hub

See Air Arabia Egypt

• Air Arabia Egypt partnership between Air Arabia in the UAE and Travco Group in Egypt, announced 09 September 2009
• First flights expected in first half of 2010 from several different Egyptian airports.
• Air Arabia Egypt will be the third hub for Air Arabia after Sharjah, UAE, and Casablanca, Morocco.

Air Arabia Morocco - Air Arabia Moroc

See Air Arabia Morocco

• Air Arabia Maroc (or Air Arabia Moroc) is the Moroccan subsidiary of Air Arabia in Sharjah and operates from Air Arabia's African hub at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (IATA code CMN) to mostly European cities.
• Air Arabia Maroc started flights 06 May 2009 with London Stanstead as the first destination, and further routes planned for France, Holland, Belgium, Italy.
• Destinations from Casablanca include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, London, Lyon, Marseille, Milan, Paris.

Air Arabia accidents and incidents

• 24 Oct 2009 - flight G9402 Mumbai-Sharjah (dep 2150) returned to Mumbai after suspected bird strike, but Air Arabia said the flight had to return "due to technical requirements." Flight departure delayed about 14 hours. (DNA India 25 Oct 2009).
• 24 Oct 2009 - flight G9282 Athens to Sharjah takeoff aborted after engine warning, engine panel found on runway. Aircraft type A320-200, registration A6-ABB. Another plane departed 16 hours later. (The Aviation Herald 25 Oct 2009).
• 27 Jul 2009 - Chennai-Sharjah flight grounded with nose and landing gear problems. Two or three more takeoff attempts abandoned. Flight rescheduled to 28 July 2009 (IANS 27 July 2009).
• 05 Sep 2007 - Air Arabia Sharjah-Katmandu flight G9537 emergency landing at Jai Prakash Narain Airport in Patna, India due to bad weather in Kathmandu, and low fuel. Flight continued same afternoon after refueling and tire-kicking (Patna Daily 05 Sep 2007).

Last update Friday 07-Nov-2014

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