Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, today announced that its inaugural flight has landed in Urumqi, China marking the carrier’s 101st global destination.

Located in the Xinjiang district of China, Urumqi is a modern industrial city in a region with a population of over 20 million people and is considered the region’s major transportation hub making it the largest city in China's western interior. It has been described as the gateway to the vast region of Xinjiang, which offers some of the best bazaars, hiking, outdoor sports and natural beauty in the country, as well as being the location of large oil and natural gas reserves. The city is economically developed and now serves as a regional transport node, cultural, and commercial centre

Air Arabia flies three times weekly to Urumqi from its main hub in Sharjah, UAE. Flights depart Sharjah International Airport on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 09:35, arriving at Urumqi International Airport at 18:15 that evening. Return flights leave Urumqi on the same days at 19:05 and arrive in Sharjah at 20:45.

Adel A. Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said” “We recognize Urumqi as an appealing destination favourable to both tourists and business men internationally and are happy to begin regular services to one of the world’s great economies. Urumqi represents an exciting first Chinese destination for us and we hope to add more routes over time. This is a major move for Air Arabia and an important step in strengthening connectivity between the rapidly growing economies of the Middle East and Eastern Asia.”  

In recent times, Air Arabia, the newly voted the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) of the year by Aviation Business, has seen its flight network expand with the addition on new routes, such as Cairo in Egypt and Antalya in Turkey, from its main base at Sharjah International Airport. The carrier currently operates from five international hubs, Including the UAE (Sharjah & Ras al-Khaimah), Morocco, Egypt and the most recent addition in Amman, Jordan.