Air Arabia eyes fast Morocco growth

Budget airline Air Arabia wants its Moroccan start-up to grow to the same size as the parent company within five years, running a fleet of up to two dozen planes, its chief executive said in an interview with Reuters.

The Dubai-listed carrier, the Gulf Arab region's largest low-cost airline by market value, began flying from its Casablanca hub seven weeks ago.

Despite the recessionary climate in Europe, its main target market, Air Arabia (Maroc) plans to expand by three to four aircraft per year as it adds new destinations.

"I am hoping in five years to have 20 to 25 planes, subject to the market progressing," said Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali.