OnFebruary 5, 2009, further to the negotiations between Kurumoch Airportand Air Arabia Airline on operatingregular flights from Samara, the three-sided working meeting with the managementof the leading tourist companies of the Samara region was held. Among thetourist companies were Sputnik Hermes,Natalie Toursm, Samaraintur, Avitex, Intourist, Samara Aerotour.
Air Arabia is planning to operate direct regular flightsfrom Samara to Sharjah, the third biggest city of the United Arab Emirates,located about 20 kmfrom Dubai. For tourists, Sharjah will not only be a premier destination initself, but also a hub for onward travel to other popular resorts to Athens, Goa, andSri-Lanka.
Air Arabia is expected to operate the flights using A-320twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. The Airline focuses on booking online, providesa variety of different services on board and offers visa assistance servicesand hotel accommodation.
Kurumoch International Airport has already confirmed its readiness to receiveand handle this new foreign airline. Today, AirArabia is carrying out the analysis of the tourist market in Samara as wellas demand in this region for the route Samara – Sharjah and its potential fordevelopment.
Duringthe meeting, the sides also discussed the present condition of the touristmarket of Samara and the entire Volga region,passenger categories, fares for tourist destinations, and seasonal patterns ofpassenger movements. Flights to the United Arab Emirates proved to bequite popular among tourists who are ready to travel there directly fromSamara. Although the global financial crisis has affected practically all spheresof our life, they predict passenger traffic growth this spring, primarily to traditionaltourist destinations.
Airline Information:
Air Arabia is the first and biggest low-costairline in the Middle East. It is a member ofthe Arab Air Carriers Organisation. Air Arabia operates scheduled services tomore than 40 destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Indiansubcontinent and Central Asia. It alsooperates regular flights to the United Arab Emirates from Kazakhstan,Armenia and Ukraine. Itsmain base is Sharjah International Airport.The Airline operates one aircraft type, the Airbus A320.