menaJet names top European no frills expert as member of its management team

Formerly a Director of easyJet, Europe's market leading low-cost carrier, he will help ensure the airline's successful implementation of a low fare strategy.

McMann has extensive aviation industry experience, having previously worked with the British Airports Authority (BAA) and British Airways, in addition to easyJet.

"Keith will bring a lot of experience and know-how to menaJet's management. He comes from a no frills culture and has been a passionate advocate of consumer choice and travel development for a long time. He has a proven track record in the no frills airline sector in Europe and this will definitely give us the competitive edge," said Mazen Hajjar, General Manager, menaJet.

"Keith will introduce the no frills concept to every aspect of menaJet and ensure that every procedure and process is customer friendly and that service quality exceeds passengers' expectations."

menaJet will operate low fare scheduled services from Sharjah International Airport, initially using two Airbus A320 aircraft each fitted with 162 single class seats. The principal shareholders are Gulf Finance House and the Al Zamil Group.

menaJet will be able to offer low fares by outsourcing support services, such as aircraft maintenance and engineering to strategic partners. It won't offer free in-flight meals and will encourage passengers to book tickets on-line or through call centres to keep administrative costs low.

"My job will be to make sure that everything we do is focussed at providing our customers with a reliable service at the best fares available" said McMann. "By taking processes and procedures back to basics, menaJet will be able to offer fares at less than half the cost of existing ones and create a new regional market.

"People who could not afford to fly will be able to do so and others will be able to fly more frequently, resulting in passenger growth and increased economic activity in the countries menaJet will service.

"Following the success of no frills airlines in Europe and the US, the next natural step is the Middle East. This is an exciting time for the region's airline industry and confidence is high. The menaJet business model is the right one for the future growth in regional travel and prosperity," added McMann.

menaJet is targeting growth in intra-Arab travel, one of aviation's fastest growing markets. The Airports Council International, which monitors passenger and cargo movements at 760 of the world's major airports, says that although passenger numbers were down 3% in North America and flat in Europe, the Middle East recorded growth of 5% in 2002.