JEDDAH – Air Arabia (PJSC), the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, has been awarded “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” at the Aviation Business Awards 2013, which took place recently in Dubai. The award recognized the airline's commitment to providing the best quality, low cost travel solutions for airline passengers in the Arab world and beyond. The “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” category recognizes the top performing LCC's in the region, based on performance parameters such as financial and operational performance. The recognition for Air Arabia is a reflection of the airline's s continued success and solid growth margins during the course of the year, placing it at number one among all regional LCC's. At the Aviation Business awards ceremony, Air Arabia was also honoured for its meaningful contributions towards the development of sustainable livelihoods, under its “Charity Cloud Programme,” winning the “Highly Commended Award in the CSR Category.” Speaking on the sidelines of the awards ceremony, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “It is a source of great pride to receive the two most sought-after awards that were presented at the Aviation Business awards. We are extremely delighted that we have managed to showcase yet another year of success and growth. That said, we will continue to expand our presence, and it is our ambition to make flying affordable for everybody.” During the course of the year, Air Arabia continued to extend its support to Charity Cloud Schools and Clinics in rural communities of Sudan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, India, and Nepal. Under the program, Air Arabia employees, including its crew members, organized a series of community initiatives in India and Sri Lanka, and paid visits to several schools, clinics, orphanages and elderly homes, and also assisted medical teams to perform generic health check-ups. Additionally, the airline organized campaigns in the UAE to raise further awareness about autism. — SG
