Sharjah-based low cost airline Air Arabia has taken delivery of its second Sharklet-equipped Airbus A320 aircraft.

The Sharklets are wing-tip devices made from light-weight materials and are designed to reduce fuel burn and emissions by improving the aerodynamics of the aircraft.

They are an option on new-build Airbus A320 family aircraft and standard on all members of A320 new engine option (neo) family. Air Arabia is the first Middle Eastern airline to use the latest technology.

Air Arabia took delivery of its first Sharklet aircraft in January.

The airline has now received 16 of the 44 A320 aircraft it ordered from Airbus in 2007. Once the order was completed in 2016, the airline’s existing fleet will have more than doubled in size. Air Arabia is expecting to take delivery of four more aircraft this year.

The expanding fleet will provide additional capacity for the airline’s growing passenger demand. The carrier posted an increase of 13 per cent in passenger numbers in 2012, compared with 2011.

A total of 5,301,484 passengers used the Sharjah-based airline in 2012.