AIR Arabia has announced that passenger traffic between Sharjah and other GCC destinations reached 551, 041 in the first half of 2010, an increase of 16.8 per cent, compared to 471, 828 in the same period last year.

The carrier recorded an average seat load factor of 81.8 per cent during this period with a total of 83 flights per week from its hub in Sharjah to nine destinations in the GCC.

The company’s CEO Adel Ali said: “These results are a demonstration of Air Arabia’s superior service and value-for-money offerings, further reinforcing the carrier’s ability to continuously deliver sustained growth. Based on strong business fundamentals, Air Arabia has embarked upon a phase of organic growth and we remain committed to providing affordable low-cost alternative travel in the wider region.”

Air Arabia had previously posted its financial results for the second quarter of the year, showing a turnover of Dh485 million ($132 million), an increase of six per cent on the same period of 2009.

The airline served 1,108,310 passengers in the second quarter of 2010, up 11 per cent on 2009 and the average seat load factor – or passengers carried as a percentage of available seats – stood at an impressive 82 per cent, an increase of four per cent.

Air Arabia began operations from its third hub in Alexandria, Egypt in June and announced a fourth hub in Jordan in collaboration with Tantash Group, an Amman-based investment company. The airline recently announced the expansion of services to the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, beginning October 31, 2010, and it set a new world record when one of its A320 aircraft flew 30,000 flight hours in six years. Air Arabia received special recognition from Airbus and was awarded for its operational efficiency and the new record.