Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, has been ranked as the world’s second beast performing airline in a study by Aviation Week, the leading  global aviation magazine. The Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) Study ranks the top 10 performing airlines worldwide, based on five different performance categories, including financial and operational performance.

Air Arabia, the only Middle East airline to claim a spot in the Aviation Week TPA Study, demonstrated sustained profitability and solid growth margins in 2011, placing it at number two among all airlines worldwide. In each of the past years, the airline has advanced its ranking in the TPA rankings.

"To be ranked second among all airlines worldwide for the level of our performance, it’s a remarkable achievement and a source of great pride for everyone at Air Arabia," said, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. "As we continue to expand into new geographies and consolidate our leadership position in existing markets, Air Arabia is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the many exciting opportunities present in the aviation sector today."  

Air Arabia, which operates flights to 75 destinations from three regional hubs, delivered strong financial and operational performance in 2011. The low-cost pioneer launched six new destinations and took delivery of six new aircraft in 2011, while carrying a total of 4.7 million passengers, an increase of six per cent compared to the previous year.

The Aviation Week TPA Study, now in its sixth year, is a leading annual rankings and competitive analysis for the global airline industry. The complete list, methodology and analysis are available at: http://www.aviationweek.com