Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (3L, Abu Dhabi International) will launch during the first half of 2020 with more details about its inaugural routes and timeline expected to be published in the coming two or three weeks, Chief Executive of Etihad Aviation Group Tony Douglas told reporters during the Dubai Airshow 2019.
According to the Gulf News, Douglas underlined that the start-up low-cost carrier, a joint venture between Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) and Air Arabia (G9, Sharjah), will provide additional connectivity for passengers travelling on Etihad Airways' flights.
"[It] is going to be great for the travelling public, it will be great for Etihad, and we’re really excited about it. [By] the end of the first or second quarter, if [passengers] want to be on one of these aircraft, the opportunity is there," Douglas said.
The creation of the LCC was announced in mid-October but details have so far been scarce. Air Arabia denied earlier reports that the start-up will focus on routes to India left underserved by the demise of Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai International).
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will be the first Abu Dhabi International-based LCC and will complement Air Arabia's offering from Sharjah.
There is no fully-fledged LCC based out of the emirate of Dubai, although flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) partially caters to that market. India's LCC SpiceJet (SG, Delhi International) is planning to establish a subsidiary based out Ras al Khaimah International.
