Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, has confirmed options for five additional Airbus A320 aircraft.

The delivery of original contract covering 44 firm orders and five options will be completed in 2017.

The five new Airbus A320 aircraft will be put into service starting second quarter 2017 backlog and have a book value of $485 million. These new aircraft will join Air Arabia’s expanding fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft currently serving over 120 routes from five operational hubs.

“We are pleased to confirm the options for five additional Airbus A320s. Air Arabia’s fleet innovation sits at the heart of the airline operational efficiency,” said Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia.

“Today, we operate one of the youngest fleets in the world and this approach will continue to drive our fleet growth strategy for the future. Our customers can expect the same cabin comfort and spacious seat configuration with the new five aircraft joining the fleet,” he added.

Air Arabia has been constantly rewarded over the past years with the A320 Family Operational Excellence Award by Airbus for achieving the highest level of A320 family aircraft utilization in the world with 99.8 per cent operational reliability. In 2010, the carrier set a new world record achieving 30,000 flight hours in just six years with one of its CFM56-5B-powered A320 aircraft.

Air Arabia currently operates a fleet of 46 Airbus A320 aircraft offering flights to over 120 destinations in 33 countries from five hubs across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family in the world.