In recognition of the enormous success of Air Arabia in the five years since it was launched, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer has been named the world’s low-cost carrier (LCC) “CEO of the Year” at the prestigious Budgie Awards, part of the World Low-Cost Airlines Congress, held in London, UK. Adel Ali was selected for this honour as the leader among his global peers, and lauded for his exceptional management skills and innovative vision.

At the same event, Air Arabia, the region’s first and largest LCC, was named “Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East and Africa.” This accolade follows a string of awards for the carrier, including most recently the World Airline Award for “Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East” for the second year running. In May 2008, Air Arabia received the prestigious “Gold Award” in the best airline category at the MENA Travel Awards.

“We are delighted to have been named ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East and North Africa,’ an award that reflects Air Arabia’s commitment to quality, operational excellence and competitively priced fares,” said Ali. “I would like to dedicate this award to all Air Arabia employees, whose hard work and commitment have led us to such great heights.

“Being named low-cost ‘CEO of the Year,’ while of course a great personal honour, is also an accolade that I must share with the team in Sharjah and across the much wider region that we serve. Added Ali: “Standing in the spotlight here in London to accept this award, I would also like to share this accolade with the more than 10 million passengers who have travelled with Air Arabia in the five years since the carrier was launched. From the Gulf to North Africa, and from the Subcontinent to Eastern Europe, Air Arabia will continue to focus on meeting the needs of our passengers. Today and going forward, we remain dedicated to providing our passengers with new worlds of opportunity to do business, visit family and forge lasting connections across this young, vibrant and fast-growing region.”

The World Low-Cost Airlines Congress is an international event where CEO’s and personnel from global LCCs gather to learn from each other’s experiences and best practices. Executives from flagship and charter carriers also attend the London gathering, seeking to apply learnings from their low-cost counterparts.

As part of the Congress, the Budgie Awards are designed to showcase excellence in the global low-cost airline industry covering different aspects of the business. They were created to honour and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments and positive contributions of companies and individuals in the high-growth low-cost sector. “CEO of the Year” category included all low cost carrier CEO’s in the world.

To view full report on the event www.worldlowcostairlines.com.

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About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com