Regional airports 'should be open to competition'

Sharjah: Adel Ali is credited with successfully building Air Arabia into a major airline. Air Arabia listed its shares on the Dubai Financial Market last year. At the end of June this year, it had flown 10 million passengers since starting operations in October 2003. Ali has more than 25 years of experience in aviation, tourism and marketing and has headed the region's first budget airline since its launch. Before becoming chief executive officer of Air Arabia, he served as vice-president for commercial and customer service with Gulf Air. Before that, he spent over 20 years with British Airways, where he held senior positions, including general manager for the Middle East and Africa. He holds an MBA degree from Marlhurst University in the US. In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Ali talks about key issues in the region's... [read full story]