Aigle Azur Expands Market Share in Algeria

Being the latest company to enter the Algerian space, Aigle Azur has made significant investments to catch up quickly and its estimated share of that market today is around 45%, according to its CEO Meziane Idjerouidene.

Indeed Aigle Azur’s presence is significant, servicing 13 Algerian airports. Its 2008 summer program, stretching over a three month period included 2,550 round-trip flights, carrying 310,000 passengers. The company managed to fill 68% of its capacity, pushing for lower airfares during the busy end of August period, characterized by the beginning of Ramadan. Hoping to further consolidate its gains, the carrier will announce new services between French and Algerian airports, starting in October 2008 with the Marseille-Algiers and Lyon-Bejaia services.

In all, five flights per week will be programmed on the Marseille-Algiers route priced at €139 on the one-way basis for economy seats and €400 for business class. Algerian passengers would pay DZD 13,222 in economy class and DZD 38,842 for business class.

The company is also looking to tap into the low-income market with promotions bringing airfares as low as DZD 14,000 for round trips. This is a market that the CEO considers as having been neglected and where opportunities abound, in particular among Algerian immigrants living in Europe.

Seeking to standardize its operations, Aigle Azure has recently joined the IATA.