UAE’s Air Arabia said Thursday that it had partnered with Sudanese conglomerate DAL Group to launch a new low-cost airline based in Sudan’s main Khartoum airport.
The Sharjah-based budget carrier said in a statement that Air Arabia Sudan will follow the same model as other Air Arabia joint ventures, including ones in Abu Dhabi, Armenia, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Nepal, and Pakistan.
“Work on securing the relevant approvals and licenses is scheduled to commence shortly,” the statement said adding that Air Arabia Sudan will operate a fleet of new Airbus A320 aircraft. Details regarding the low-cost airline’s route network, fleet size and composition and scheduled services will be revealed in due course.
The joint venture represents the first such investment by a foreign airliner in a carrier serving Sudan, said a Reuters report.
“We are confident that Air Arabia Sudan will add significant value to the air transport sector of Sudan and directly contribute to the growth of the local economy and the development of the travel and tourism sector,” Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, chairman of Air Arabia said in the statement.
With a market capitalization of $2.6 billion (AED 9.7 billion) as of 23 September 2022, Air Arabia carried more than 5.2 million passengers between January and June. It reported a net profit of $122.76 million (AED 450.9 million) for the first half of 2022.
The low-cost carrier flies to over 170 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe.
