Air Arabia, a leading low-cost carrier in the region, said it has flown a total of 551,041 passengers in the first half, up 16.8 per cent, compared to 471, 828 in the same period last year.

The Sharjah-based carrier recorded an average seat load factor of 81.8 per cent during the period with a total of 83 flights per week from its hub in Sharjah to nine destinations in the GCC.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Adel Ali, Group chief executive officer, Air Arabia, said: 'These encouraging results are a demonstration of the carrier's superior service and value-for-money offerings, further reinforcing the carrier’s ability to continuously deliver sustained growth.'

'Based on strong business fundamentals, Air Arabia has embarked upon a phase of organic growth and we remain committed to providing affordable low-cost alternative to travel in the wider region,' he noted.

Air Arabia began operations from its third hub in Alexandria, Egypt in June and announced a fourth hub in Jordan in collaboration with Tantash Group, an Amman-based investment company.-TradeArabia News Service