The Middle East's first no-frills airline, menaJet, is to be launched in Sharjah in December. The carrier to be based at Sharjah International Airport will operate low fare scheduled services, initially utilizing two Airbus A320 aircraft each fitted with 162 single class seats.
MenaJet will target growth in intra-Arab travel. Preliminary figures for 2002, issued by the Airports Council International, which monitors passenger and cargo movements at 760 of the world’s major airports, show that although passenger numbers were down three percent in North America and flat in Europe, the Middle East recorded growth of five percent last year.
“menaJet will focus predominantly on high-density destinations with year-round opportunity. Our customers will range from regular travellers, such as expatriates and people with regional holiday homes, to business people and those looking for short holiday breaks,” Said General Manager of menaJet, Mazen Hajjar.
The principal shareholders in menaJet are Gulf Finance House and the Al-Zamil Group. The airline plans to keep its costs down by outsourcing support services, such as aircraft maintenance and engineering to strategic partners. It won’t offer free in-flight meals or entertainment and will encourage people to book tickets on-line or through call centers, helping to keep administrative costs low. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
