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In pictures: 5 things to know about… Low-cost carriers serving the Middle East
A growing number of carriers are giving budget-conscious travellers a range of new destinations to fly to
1. Ryanair: In March, Europe’s biggest no-frills airline will begin four weekly flights between Paphos in Cyprus and Amman, Jordan. The airline says it will sell tickets for as little as $25 between April and May. Later in the year, it will connect Amman and Aqaba to 14 European cities, including Athens.
2. Air Cairo: Egypt’s tourism industry is on the verge of a recovery. Spurred by a 94 percent growth in the number of Italian tourists in 2017, EgyptAir’s low-cost subsidiary now flies passengers between Sharm El Sheikh and Naples for just $192. Rome and Bari routes will follow.
3. Air Mediterranean: Greece’s newest airline is quickly adding routes into the Arab world. It currently flies to Baghdad and its latest route to Jeddah commenced operations in December. The airline has a sales office in Lebanon as well, and expects to begin expanding its network to include other destinations.
4. Serene Air: New Pakistani carrier Serene Air began domestic operations a year ago. It now plans to add international flights connecting the country’s major cities to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of the year – pending delivery of a new Boeing 737 due to arrive later this month.
5. Indigo Airlines: UAE-India air traffic is set to grow the fastest of any country pair in the world, due in large part to low fare airlines such as Indigo. The airline added two new routes out of Sharjah, connecting Lucknow and Hyderabad, on top of existing destinations in southern India.
