Casablanca expansion for Air Arabia

Air Arabia will invest $50 million in its second hub in Casablanca, Morocco, the airline's chief executive said yesterday.

The hub will serve the European and North African market and will have 20 to 25 aircraft and target at least 60 airports within a five-hour radius, said Adel Ali, chief executive of Air Arabia.

"I think we will be going to Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and North Africa," he said

The airline will begin flying to Goa in India and Athens in Greece on April 16 and 21, respectively. Ali said that a hub in Nepal was considered earlier, but because of political instability the venture has been suspended.

Additionally, he said the airport infrastructure did not improve. "It was a very interesting opportunity. The right decision, but at the wrong time," he added.

"We have aircraft delivered and [are] ready to operate from Morocco," he said.