The United Arab Emirates' low-cost carrier Air Arabia has introduced a new system that would allow a passenger to choose his or her seat while making a flight reservation.

This new service, aimed at giving passengers greater choice, follows an announcement earlier this month of an early check-in procedure, an Air Arabia statement said.

“Enabling customers to select their seats and take advantage of our early check-in procedure is in line with our continued commitment to offer more choices and added convenience,” A K Nizar, head of the commercial department at the Sharjah-based airline, said in the statement.

“All our passengers will benefit from this service as it will make the boarding of our flights more efficient than ever,” he added.

The airline, which flies to 10 destinations in India, recently crossed the 10 million passengers mark.

In the first half of 2008, Air Arabia carried more than 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 33 percent compared to 1.2 million in the corresponding period last year.

“As we continue to focus on maximising efficiency and minimising costs, we hope to provide greater value to our customers both in terms of fares and services,” Nizar said.