Jazeera Airways is confident of bucking the aviation downturn by handling 2.5m passengers this year – almost as many travellers the airline has carried since 2005.
Marwan Boodai, chairman of the Kuwaiti carrier, said on Monday that demand for air travel, especially low-cost services in the Middle East, will remain high during the financial crisis.
“People still need to travel whether it’s for leisure, business or to visit their families,” he said.
Since the airline’s launch four years ago, some three million passengers have flown with Jazeera Airways.
“We are looking forward for 2009,” Boodai said. “We have read all the news about the downturn, but the severity is unknown. The future looks grim, that’s one way of looking at it. Another is low-cost airlines that continue to expand in economic downturns flourish.”
In particular, the airline hopes to attract more business travellers that are looking for cheaper fares in the current climate.
During a media conference to announce Jazeera’s 2009 plans, Boodai also revealed the carrier is expecting to remain profitable. The airline will announce its 2008 figures this March.
When discussing the airline’s 2008 financial results, Boodai said: “We hope that there will again be a positive surprise for our shareholders. We will be meeting the targets and budgets we have set,” he added.
In 2007, Jazeera reported a 2.2m KD profit following on from the previous year’s 2.5m KD increase.
Boodai said the carrier will expand in several areas to satisfy continued demand during the downturn. The airline is introducing four new destinations, none of which were disclosed during the media gathering.
Jazeera said the routes will be in addition to the Doha, Deir Ezzour and Khartoum services that the airline recently launched. The carrier flies to 22 destinations across 14 countries.
The airline is also increasing its A320 fleet to 10 aircraft from eight, with two additional A320s expected to arrive this June.
In addition, Jazeera Airways’ chiefs will operate more flights from its second hub in Dubai. Boodai said weekly services will increase to 81 from 53, while number of available seats during the same period is expected to rise to 13,365 from 8735.
A third hub to go alongside Jazeera’s bases in Kuwait and Dubai is also planned, although no more details were revealed.
Follow us on
