Air Arabia, the Mideast's largest low-cost carrier, said it could increase a planned fleet expansion to as many as 50 aircraft and conclude a deal in November after months of talks with Airbus and Boeing, Reuters reported. The United Arab Emirates-based carrier said in June it was in early talks to buy as many as 34 short-haul aircraft and would choose between the Boeing 737 and the A320 made by Airbus, a unit of EADS. Chief executive Adel Ali declined on Sunday to say which manufacturer he had chosen. "We are planning to purchase between 34 and 50 aircraft directly from airplane makers... in November," he said by telephone from Kuwait. He did not say why the airline could increase the order to 50 planes. Regional airlines have announced large plane orders at the Dubai Airshow, scheduled to open on November 11. The three-year old carrier, set up by the government of the Sharjah emirate, operates a fleet of nine leased Airbus A320s. The company sold a 55 percent stake in the Mideast's first airline IPO in April. The $700 million it raised in the share sale will go towards paying for the aircraft, Air Arabia spokesman Housam Raydan said in June.
