At the Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah, in a candid discussion Mr. Adel Ali, CEO, Air Arabia shares his thought on his airlines expansion plans, adding new hubs, India operation and more…

What would like to share about Air Arabia expansion plans in terms of fleets and new routes?
We have ordered for 120 aircrafts in 2019 for which deliveries’ are starting from 2024 onwards. We have our hubs growing and growth will continue to develop.

Dubai has asked for 50000 more aeroplane seats with India on weekly basis. So, any plans if Air Arabia is also seeking a share into it?
I am not aware of what Dubai has asked for because seats requirement is between the Govt of UAE and Govt of India. This is a Civil Aviation Bilateral procedure and whatever the seats govt gets than they come and decide which airline should get it. So, I don’t get involved with those details as I am not aware of it and I don’t want to give you wrong information.

Recently Abu Dhabi is added as one of the hub for Air Arabia with flights starting for Kolkata. How is the response of the newly added sector?
I think Kolkata has just started but we will be doing from Abu Dhabi to adding few key airports in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Trivandrum and all. India is always a good route because naturally due to population there is a huge Indian community living in UAE and in every city within UAE. So, we are looking to make the life of much more people pleasant and to be able to travel at a price at much comfort level.

Your view on the India Market as Air Arabia connects almost 15 cities?
For me India is a continent and not a country. It’s a very good and beautiful place. India is having a huge population and its economy is growing with at positive strength. Overall Indian economy is good and in whole quality of life is improving. And that is creating much more travel within India, to India and from India. So, one place where travel will continue to grow, India will be one of them.

Interview is conducted by Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor of Aviation World. He has attended Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah on the exclusive invitation.