HummingBird From Jamaica, joined Mar 2007, 2768 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1533 times:
That explains the RFP for 50 narrow body aircraft.
Air Arabia to set up hub in Morocco
By Ivan Gale, Staff Reporter
Published: November 07, 2007, 23:32
Dubai: Air Arabia will establish a second hub in the Moroccan capital of Rabat that will allow it to carry passengers to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, the company said yesterday.
The Sharjah-based budget airline announced on Wednesday that it has signed a management agreement with Regional Air Lines, a private carrier in Morocco.
Under the agreement, Air Arabia will assume management control of the carrier and apply its business model to its management. In addition, Air Arabia and Bahrain-based Ithmaar Bank will invest capital in the Moroccan airline.
"This agreement provides us with the opportunity to reach into fast-growing markets in North Africa and across the Med-iterranean into southern Europe," said CEO Adel Ali. "Air Arabia will now be able to expand this coverage area across the Europe, Middle East and Africa [EMEA] region."
Mohammad Hassan Bin Salah, chairman of Regional Air Lines, said, "Considering that Morocco expects to welcome an estimated 10 million tourists a year by 2010, this is an timely announcement. There is also a very large Moroccan diaspora who will benefit."
Air Arabia, widely expected to place an order of 34 to 50 aircraft worth $4 billion at next week's Dubai Airshow, has said in the past it wants to develop three hubs in total.
Air Arabia was founded in 2003 and became profitable two years later.
In 2006, it carried 1.7 million passengers. It is the first budget airline in the Middle East and North Africa, but it will not be the first to establish a second base of operations.
That distinction goes to Kuwait's Jazeera Airways, which opened a hub in Dubai earlier this year.
Fly2CHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1507 times:
What is expected to be included in the narrow body order? Their current A320s wouldn't have the legs to operate Sharjah-Rabat non-stop which would be what is presumably required to interconnect networks effectively.
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 10397 posts, RR: 66 Reply 2, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 1449 times:
Quoting Fly2CHC (Reply 1): What is expected to be included in the narrow body order? Their current A320s wouldn't have the legs to operate Sharjah-Rabat non-stop which would be what is presumably required to interconnect networks effectively.
The A320's range is about 147nm short of SHJ-RAB which is a 3247nm sector - could it just make it if they have zero cargo onboard perhaps? Aside of that, if they are staying with Airbus, the A319 could do it easily.
Beaucaire From Syria, joined Sep 2003, 5252 posts, RR: 33 Reply 6, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1274 times:
Rabat is only 1 hour by train from Casablanca,the capital and deserving the central-north region of Morocco.(Safi,Mohamedia,Rabat,Fez..)
Casablanca airport is about 40 Min,drive from the center of Casa - so the difference is not that huge.
Interesting to note that Afriquiyah want to build a massive new hub-airport in Tripoli i a few yeras and have placed large orders with Airbus recently.So the North-african market becomes more lucrative and will drain Europe-Maghreb-Africa passengers.
Bambicruz From Netherlands, joined Nov 2001, 288 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 1240 times:
Quoting Beaucaire (Reply 6): Rabat is only 1 hour by train from Casablanca,the capital and deserving the central-north region of Morocco.(Safi,Mohamedia,Rabat,Fez..)
Casablanca airport is about 40 Min,drive from the center of Casa - so the difference is not that huge.
Interesting to note that Afriquiyah want to build a massive new hub-airport in Tripoli i a few yeras and have placed large orders with Airbus recently.So the North-african market becomes more lucrative and will drain Europe-Maghreb-Africa passengers.
Well, Rabat airport since it does not have rail access. and the airport shuttle does not run that frequently (considering the traffic, Im surprised there is even an airport shuttle at all!)
But yes, CMN's disadvantage is that it's way too far out from the city and is not conveniently located between rabat and casablanca.
Robffm2 From Germany, joined Dec 2006, 1066 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 1211 times:
First of all it's good news to see another carrier taking interest in Morocco and offering more connections to Europe and hopefully Germany. LH and AT are somehow concentrating on CMN. I keep my fingers crossed and hope for more direct flight to the north and south of Morocco.
Beaucaire From Syria, joined Sep 2003, 5252 posts, RR: 33 Reply 9, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 1195 times:
One should also dare to remark that the most recent elections in Morocco have been considered as free,democratic and without any major incidents.Morocco has a 6% growth and the most recent decisions to invest into e french built TGV,major investments in the Tangiers region( Renault car manufacturing,free trade zones etc) will help to get Morocco out of the exclusive tourist dependance.
There still a lot of problems in Morocco,but the king and the parliement are doing the right steps in the right direction.
LH506 From Ecuador, joined May 2007, 424 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Quoting HummingBird (Thread starter): Air Arabia, widely expected to place an order of 34 to 50 aircraft worth $4 billion at next week's Dubai Airshow, has said in the past it wants to develop three hubs in total.
I just saw that there is a Boeing UFO order for 34 738s booked end of September. That matches pretty well, doesn't it???
Bambicruz From Netherlands, joined Nov 2001, 288 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 1168 times:
Quoting LH506 (Reply 10): I just saw that there is a Boeing UFO order for 34 738s booked end of September. That matches pretty well, doesn't it???
Looks like it, although I prefer the 320s, but you never know until the order has been officially announced.
However, if they are to set up a hub at RBA, how are they going to link it to SHJ? at a distance of 3737 NM I would be very surprised if a 738 can do the job non-stop.
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