Middle East budget carrier Air Arabia and Sudanese conglomerate Dal Group are to launch a new low-cost airline based at Khartoum International Airport.

Air Arabia Sudan will operate a fleet of new Airbus A320 aircraft. The partners said work on securing the relevant approvals and licences is due to start soon and that further details regarding route network, fleet size and composition, scheduled services will be communicated in due course.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, chairman of Air Arabia, said: “We are confident that Air Arabia Sudan will add significant value to the air transport sector of Sudan and directly contribute to the growth of the local economy and the development of the travel and tourism sector. We thank DAL Group and the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority for their trust, and we look forward to working hand in hand to develop the new airline, which will serve as a new value-for-money air travel option for the country.”

Osama Daoud Abdellatif, DAL Group’s chairman, commented: “DAL Group is excited to launch Air Arabia Sudan in partnership with Air Arabia Group. Our decision to partner with a leading pioneer of low-cost air travel is driven by our core commitment to perpetually contribute towards realizing Sudan’s long-term human and economic growth and development potential.”

The move is the latest in a series of joint venture agreements by Air Arabia to launch new budget airlines in Armenia, Pakistan and Abu Dhabi with local partners.