Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, today announced that it has welcomed 1.3 million passengers in the second quarter of 2012, an increase of over 15 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2011. In June 2012 alone, the airline carried some 466,474 customers - the highest number of passengers that the airline handled in a month by far.

The airline also reported that the average seat load factor for the second quarter of 2012 stood at 85 per cent, registering an increase of 3 per cent over the figure for the second quarter of last year. The airline attributes this impressive growth to its wider range of destinations and the value for money services.

“These record passenger figures demonstrates the single most strength of Air Arabia – its sound value-for-money product,” said, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. “Since inception, Air Arabia has set the standard for the low-cost travel segment, offering affordable fares to an ever growing range of destinations. Today’s announcement further validates this commitment that led millions of passengers to choose to fly with Air Arabia, whether for business or leisure purposes.”

Since the beginning of 2012, Air Arabia introduced two new routes to its award-winning network from Sharjah International Airport, including, Taif in Saudi Arabia, and Salalah in Oman. In addition, the airline also increased daily frequencies to Moscow, Kuwait, Nagpur and Dammam from its Sharjah hub.