Travelling from the capital looks set to get a lot more affordable…

International travel from the capital is about to get a lot more affordable as Abu Dhabi is set to get its first low-cost passenger airline with the launch of Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.

A joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia, the low-cost passenger airline will operate out of a hub in Abu Dhabi International Airport, and aims to cater to the growing low-cost travel market segment in the region.

Although a launch date for the new low cost airline wasn’t given, a statement said that further information regarding the new joint venture will be released “in the near future”.

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No further information on what routes passengers can expect, or how frequently they’ll fly, has yet been given.

“We are thrilled to partner with Etihad to establish Air Arabia Abu Dhabi that will further serve the growing low-cost travel segment locally and regionally while capitalising on the expertise that Air Arabia and Etihad will be providing,” said Adel Al Ali, CEO of Air Arabia.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said: “This exciting partnership supports our transformation programme and will offer our guests a new option for low-cost travel to and from Abu Dhabi, supplementing our own services. We look forward to the launch of the new airline in due course”.

Air Arabia was the first low-cost airline to be introduced in the MENA region when it launched out of Sharjah International Airport in 2003.

The launch of flydubai, which operates mainly out of DXB Terminal 2, followed suit in 2009. It joined forces with Dubai-based airline Emirates in 2017 and now operates flights to more than 90 destinations around the world.

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Images: Air Arabia