Air Arabia inaugural flight lands in Urumqi, China

Air Arabia, described as the MENA’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), announced on Wednesday that its inaugural flight landed in Urumqi, China marking the carrier’s 101st global destination.
Located in the Xinjiang district of China, Urumqi is a modern industrial city in a region with a population of over 20 million people and is considered the region’s major transportation hub making it the largest city in China's western interior.
It has been described as the gateway to the vast region of Xinjiang, which offers some of the best bazaars, hiking, outdoor sports and natural beauty in the country, as well as being the location of large oil and natural gas reserves. The city is economically developed and now serves as a regional transport node, cultural, and commercial center.
Air Arabia flies three times weekly to Urumqi from its main hub in Sharjah. Flights depart Sharjah International Airport on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Return flights leave Urumqi for Sharjah on the same days.
Adel A. Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, said: “We recognize Urumqi as an appealing destination favorable to both tourists and business men internationally and are happy to begin regular services to one of the world’s great economies.”
Urumqi represents an exciting first Chinese destination for us and we hope to add more routes over time. This is a major move for Air Arabia and an important step in strengthening connectivity between the rapidly growing economies of the Middle East and Eastern Asia.”
In recent times, Air Arabia, the newly voted LCC of the year by Aviation Business, has seen its flight network expand with the addition on new routes, such as Cairo and Antalya (Turkey), from its main base at Sharjah International Airport. The carrier currently operates from five international hubs, including the UAE (Sharjah & Ras Al-Khaimah), Morocco, Egypt and the most recent addition in Amman, Jordan.