Air Arabia (G9, Sharjah) is studying proposals from Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier Aerospace for its fleet renewal programme, set to be announced during the first half of next year. Airline CEO Adel Abdullah Ali told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that given current order backlogs with the major aircraft manufacturers, Air Arabia would also consider leasing as an option.
Among the types being studied are the A320neo, the B737 MAX, and the CSeries all under consideration though the size of any order, Ali said, would depend on the region's political climate.
According to the CEO, prior to the civil war and the subsequent rise of the so-called Islamic State, Syria was the budget carrier's strongest market. However, despite the decline in demand, Air Arabia has been able to shift capacity to Saudi Arabia which is in the process of opening up its market to more players.
With a network spanning North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and China, Air Arabia operates a total of forty-one A320-200s including its Air Arabia Egypt (E5, Alexandria Borg el Arab) and Air Arabia Maroc (3O, Casablanca Mohamed V) subsidiaries.
