Air Arabia joins rush for low-cost operations

Following the successful launch of its Mumbai-Sharjah flights, Air Arabia, UAE's national carrier, will launch low-cost service in many other cities of India including Kochi.

Rohith Ramachandran, manager (India), of the airline said at a press conference here that operations from other important cities will commence in a couple of months provided the government accords it permission.

The company plans to commence operations from a host of cities including Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

Air Arabia, which unleashed the low-cost revolution in the Gulf region, will be the low cost service in all the cities in India according to him.

On the Mumbai-Sharjah sector the minimum fare is Rs 2,999 (excluding taxes and surcharges) for advance booking and it has a progressive fare system.

But the maximum fare of Air Arabia will still be cheaper than any other airline operating in the sector, he said.

He said that Air Arabia's ticketing model is based on the market supply and demand. Hence the early birds will enjoy the advantage of a minimum fare.

The airline has done away with the traditional booking office and allows people to book online. This has cut the cost of the airline's operations considerably due to the avoidance of the printing cost. He also said that the passengers can order food according to their choice and pay onboard in rupees.

With the addition of its fifth Airbus 320, Air Arabia will offer brand new aircraft. The airline has only economy class and has a total staff strength of around 260 including pilots and the cabin crew.