Budget airline Air Arabia Abu Dhabi scores a profit in its first year itself

Budget airline Air Arabia Abu Dhabi scores a profit in its first year itself

Dubai: Etihad Airways’ joint venture carrier - Air Arabia Abu Dhabi – is off to a good start after being ‘fully profitable’ in its first year of existence. “We are very proud because within the broader Gulf region it’s the first AOC (air operator certificate), to our knowledge, that went fully profitable from year one,” said Etihad Airways’ CEO Tony Douglas during an Aviation Week podcast. “That’s testimony to Air Arabia’s ability to run a very tight ship indeed.” Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, which was launched in July 2020, added seven new routes last year. Recently, the carrier announced plans for more Indian destinations such as Chennai and Jaipur. In 2021, Air Arabia also announced the signing of an agreement with the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) to launch Armenia’s national airline ‘Fly Arna’. Another joint venture is with Lakson Group, one of Pakistan's leading business conglomerates, to launch ‘Fly Jinnah’ a low-cost airline based in Pakistan. “They are the standout business model within the Middle East region in terms of knowing how to operate a low-cost proposition in a very efficient way,” Douglas said. Douglas also said the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the spike in jet fuel prices are just