On the sidelines of the Arab Aviation Summit, its Chairman, CEO of Air Arabia Group, held a press conference in which he participated Arab media representatives, during which he talked regarding a number of topics related to the travel and tourism sector. He stressed that these two sectors are linked to each other, and while the developments witnessed by these two sectors are calling for To much optimism, it must take the necessary measures to deal with existing and future challenges. This is what the Arab Air Summit, which we hold annually, aims to discuss the most important issues and axes related to the aviation sector in the region and the challenges and the best ways and solutions to deal with these challenges.
With regard to the reflection of the current boom in the numbers and services of low-cost airlines and the establishment of new companies, the CEO stressed For the Air Arabia Group, competition is always a positive thing. And when new companies come, they will create jobs and supply, and the number of travelers will double, and the proportion of tourism will increase. This is what creates competition between companies that are racing to provide the best, which is in the interest of the traveler Himself. In the end, the best and strongest company is the one that continues and grows. He added, “For example, we are in Al-Arabiya, from our station in Morocco, we make trips to all European countries. We are engaged in fierce competitions with the largest economic companies in the world, and praise be to God, we are achieving remarkable achievements and growth, perhaps We would not have achieved it without the competition that exists.”
And Al-Ali continued, in response to a question regarding the role of economic aviation in light of global competition: “Studies are indicative That the choices and requirements have changed in the world of aviation, and that what the next generation focuses on most in aviation Air travel is safe and affordable. In addition, there are aspects that are no less important, such as hygiene and punctuality. Luxury means are no longer a basic requirement for many travelers, especially since airports now provide all the required services Including restaurants, cafes and shopping. In my opinion, for example, the days of searching for the luxury of eating while traveling are over. That is why you see a lot of people traveling in economy planes, but they live in five-star hotels.”
And by his question to «Gulf News» regarding what he proposed in his speech at the summit regarding the low profit margin for airlines, so that Do not check more than 10%Al-Ali commented, saying: “First, we must point out that aviation in the Middle East is fine and thank God. But globally, the aviation sector until 2021 was achieving a good fiscal year, despite the support provided by the movement of the economy in each country, the margin of profitability did not exceed 0.102%. In 2022 it reached 0.18%. This was considered a huge leap. We are talking regarding trillions of dollars here. However, I expect that the results of the year 2022 globally will be that the aviation sector will achieve 3-4 billion dollars in profits. This is relatively a good thing.”
Sustainability in the aviation sector
On the topic of sustainability in the aviation industry, he said: “Sustainability has become a central issue in the transportation sector in general And aviation in particular. If we look at the numbers, we find that the transportation sector globally causes 15%of emissions, of which 2%from the aviation sector. Unfortunately, we see the focus on the 2%Not the 13th%!.
In general, we find that emissions come from the consumption of petroleum fuels in particular. Today, large oil companies spend billions to reduce these emissions, and many countries spend huge amounts of money to develop Oil refineries to reduce emissions. The same applies to the aviation industry. So it is a joint work of governments, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine manufacturers and local oil companies And global. In the long term, by 2035, we expect to make significant progress. By reaching 2050, there are promises to reach zero.
From my point of view, there are serious global efforts in this regard, even if we do not reach a rate zero, we will have made important steps. achieve 80%One of the goals is better than staying in the same location.
In response to a question regarding Al Arabiya’s tendency to increase flights in some countries and increase the fleet and destinations In 2023, the CEO commented, “We are among the first companies to return in 2021 all The fleet that stopped in 2019, and we added ten aircraft in 2022. We expect to add between 8-10 more aircraft in 2023. It is natural that the increase in aircraft is accompanied by an increase in the number of flights to existing destinations or the launch of new destinations. Both will be achieved in 2023.
With regard to the development of technology and artificial intelligence in the world of aviation, Al-Ali stressed that technology is a cornerstone In the aviation industry, they are two aspects that go hand in hand. He continued: «For example, simply, during the past fifty years, we find tremendous developments that have taken place in the aviation industry, For example, emissions have decreased by regarding 90 percent%. And at a time when the sounds of planes in the air caused a loud noise for the residents of the homes or even the travelers themselves , while currently hardly a sound. Add to that the speeds of the planes, the amounts of oil consumed per flight. For example, 50 tons were used for a 6-hour trip, and the quantity has shrunk to regarding ten tons. Building an airplane used to take many hours, and today it is like dealing with a smartphone. Today, planes are able to land if the vision is only 50 meters, while the distance is Previously required 6 kilometers. All thanks to technology.
Regarding his evaluation of the experience of the precautionary measures and closures that the world went through in general and the aviation sector in particular, he said : The problem was in the lack of experience in this aspect. Whoever was infected with the Corona virus two years ago, the effects may remain for long periods if the person did not die, and who Corona virus infected him two months ago, it was like a common cold. The whole world was affected by it, and it cannot be said that the decisions that were taken are correct at the global level or Wrong because no one knew the results. It was global endeavors to deal with the situation. Each procedure is continuously developed and reviewed. But it can be said that governments in the world have done what they found to be in the interest and protection of people.
