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December 13, 2024
AirArabia a321NEO

AirArabia a321NEO

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Air Arabia plans to establish a new joint venture airline in Sudan, called Air Arabia Sudan. The airline has partnered with privately owned DAL Group to develop a low-cost carrier. It will announce details about its launch date and network at a later stage. Air Arabia Sudan newest lot on the Arabian tree.

A number of small airlines operate in the African country that has seen troubled years with wars, climate issues, and famine. Sudan Airways is the official national airline and was established in 1946, but it operates a fleet of just three aircraft: one Airbus A320, a Boeing 737-300, and a Fokker 50. Bigger is Badr Airlines, which operates a fleet of eight Boeing 737s out of Khartoum but is also based at Air Arabia’s main hub in Sharjah in the UAE.

Air Arabia intends to bring its successful low-cost model to Sudan, operating a fleet of new Airbus A320 aircraft that will likely come from the parent airline or its subsidiaries in Egypt or Morocco. Air Arabia Sudan will be based in Khartoum. The airline is currently in the process of securing approval and licenses. “More details regarding route network, fleet size and composition, scheduled services, and other matters are expected to be communicated in due course”, Air Arabia says in a media statement on September 22.

“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”, Air Arabia Chairman, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, says. How much his airline group will invest in the new venture has not been disclosed, but the investment in Sudan fits in the recent strategy of Air Arabia to launch new airlines in countries that are underserved by air travel. This summer, its subsidiary Fly Arna launched services in Armenia. Fly Jinnah hopes to start shortly in Pakistan. Air Arabia produced a strong first half year.

DAL Group is a conglomerate of companies that is active in various industries such as agriculture, automotive, mining, education, food, and health care. The company has no background in aviation. “Our decision to partner with a leading pioneer of low-cost air travel is driven by our core commitment to perpetually contribute towards realizing Sudan’s long-term human and economic growth and development potential”, said DAL Chairman Osama Daoud Abdelatif. “Given Sudan’s rich national cultures, rarely publicized yet fascinating ancient history, and breathtaking topography, our nation enjoys a unique untapped potential, and we are therefore steadfastly committed to developing the diverse aspects of Sudan’s tourism, travel, cargo transport, and aviation infrastructure sectors”.

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Richard Schuurman
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016. Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.

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