From the Gulf Daily News today:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Artic...=60437&Sn=BNEW
Bahrain destination for Sharjah airline
By SOMAN BABY
BAHRAIN is to be one of the first destinations for a new government-owned, low-cost airline from Sharjah, air arabia.
Bahraini aviation veteran Adel Ali has joined as chief executive of the airline, which will operate daily flights between Sharjah and Bahrain, starting October 28.
The new airline will be the third national carrier from the UAE, said Mr Ali, former vice-president of Gulf Air.
While Gulf Air is the national carrier of Abu Dhabi, and Emirates that of Dubai, air arabia will be the national carrier of Sharjah, he told the GDN.
"This will be the first low-cost airline owned by a Gulf country and our prime aim is to make air travel affordable to the public," said Mr Ali.
"Besides Bahrain, air arabia will also operate initially to Muscat, Doha, Kuwait, Beirut and Shiraz in Iran.
"Our objective is to stimulate new market segments and not to compete with other GCC carriers."
Mr Ali said the airline would offer high quality service using brand new A320 aircraft, to be leased from Airbus Industries.
"We shall take delivery of the first two aircraft in October. Two more will join the fleet in October next year and another two by early 2005," he revealed.
"The pricing structure will be based on supply and demand. We shall follow the low-cost business model, introduced by some airlines in the West.
"The fare will be cheaper for people who book early. Most of the bookings will be made through the Internet."
The airline will focus on affordability, reliability and ease of travel for the public, said Mr Ali.
"To make the travel affordable to all class of people, we shall not include meals in the ticket," he added.
"Those who want food on board can buy it separately. We shall be operating an all economy class airline."
Though the A320 has a capacity of 189, air arabia will have a configuration of only 150 economy class seats to make seating very comfortable, said Mr Ali.
"We hope our fares will encourage not only Arab nationals but also the expatriates living in the region to undertake more inter-Gulf travel," he continued.
"Our long-term plan includes operations to Saudi Arabia and the sub-continent.
"The airline will have a total of 150 employees, including a multi-national cabin crew. We are in the final stages of recruitment."
Mr Ali said he was grateful to Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs for its prompt and positive response in granting traffic rights to air arabia.
"We shall soon establish an office in Bahrain. We are currently evaluating the structure of representations for the new airline in the kingdom," he revealed.
UAE Supreme Council member and the Ruler of Sharjah Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi earlier said in a Press statement that air arabia would be owned by Sharjah International Airport Authority and the Sharjah Civil Aviation Department, with an operating capital of BD5 million.
He said the airline would forge strategic alliances with several Arab and international companies.
Mr Ali, 43, had worked for British Airways (BA) for two decades, before joining Gulf Air in January 2001 as its vice-president - commercial and customer services.
He took up the senior management position with the national carrier, after resigning the senior position of BA's Middle East and North Africa operations general manager.
Mr Ali was BA's first Bahraini manager to head one of the airline's four newly created territories after the company completed a major re-organisation in early 1999.