Budget carrier Air Arabia expands Europe operations with new Vienna flights

Sharjah: Sharjah-headquartered low-cost carrier Air Arabia has expanded its operations to Europe with the launch of direct flights to Vienna. The all-Airbus budget carrier announced Friday that it would operate the A320s in its fleet to the Austrian capital four times a week. The airline announced plans to launch this route in July this year.

The inaugural flight, which carried guests including Dr Etienne Berchtold, the Austrian Ambassador to the UAE, and senior Air Arabia representatives, departed from Sharjah after an inaugural ceremony attended by Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority.

Adel Al Ali, Group CEO of Air Arabia, said, “We are delighted to strengthen our presence in Europe, and the addition of Vienna to our growing list of cities reflects our dedication to providing affordable, convenient and memorable travel experiences for our customers”.

Meanwhile, Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport said that the Vienna-Sharjah route serves a dynamic market and offers excellent transfer connections to international travellers. “Passengers travelling from Austria can head for the sun, whereas guests from the UAE can experience the festive atmosphere of Vienna. With the return of Air Arabia, we are continuing our successful cooperation,” said Jäger.

Air Arabia expanded its European network in September this year with new non-stop flights to Warsaw, Poland.

Air Arabia, one of the MENA region’s largest low-cost carriers (LCC), operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft.

According to OAG, LCCs now have a 29 per cent share of all airline traffic in the Middle East, accounting for a quarter of all flights at even the largest legacy hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.