Eritrea capital Asmara is Air Arabia's latest African destination

The Eritrean capital Asmara is the latest African destination for Saudi-based Air Arabia, the airline announced on Tuesday. The move is part of an African expansion program the airline added.

The flight to Asmara starts on December 10, 2017. It will start as a weekly flight that will leave Air Arabia’s base, the Sharjah International Airport on Sundays. The return flight will depart from Asmara on Mondays.

Air Arabia expands in Africa, adds Eritrea to its network!

— Air Arabia (@airarabiagroup) December 5, 2017

Adel Al Ali, Air Arabia’s Group CEO commenting on the new route said: “Eritrea is on the path to becoming an important market for the UAE. Through the launch of this route, we look to boost the trade and bilateral relations between the two countries, and expand our footprint in the African continent.

“We are excited to commence our operations to Asmara, which will provide affordable travel options to passengers travelling from Eritrea to destinations across our network and beyond,” he added.

Already, Air Arabia flies to Kenyan capital Nairobi, Somalia’s Hargeisa and Sudan’s Khartoum in the East Africa region. Other African destinations include Alexandria in Egypt, Casablanca, Nador and Tangiers all in Morocco.