RAK Airways – the UAE’s fourth national carrier – today announced that its inaugural flight will take off to Beirut on Thursday 29th November. The full-service airline also announced the launch of its flights to Colombo, Sofia and Dhaka.
Launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince & Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. RAK Airways also plans to unveil more destinations, including cities in India, Nepal, Qatar and Tanzania, within three months as part of an ambitious growth strategy.
Ticket sales for the first four destinations start today and tickets can be obtained from authorised travel agents as well as online via the airline’s website (www.rakairways.com) and travel portals.
Unveiling details about the launch destinations and future plans, Captain Khalid Almeer, Chief Operating Officer of RAK Airways, said: “It is matter of great privilege for me to announce that RAK Airways is set to be airborne on 29th November, with flights to Beirut, Sofia, Colombo and Dhaka. Catering to all passenger segments, RAK Airways will be operating Boeing 757s for its start-up operations.”
He added that RAK Airways will operate three weekly flights to Beirut – in addition to three weekly flights to Dhaka, three flights a week to Colombo and a once-a-week flight to Sofia.
Captain Khalid continued: “As part of our growth strategy in the region, we will launch our operations to destinations in India, Nepal, Qatar and Tanzania over the next two to three months. However, our first objective is to grow and establish RAK Airways in the Middle East.”
He added that RAK Airways plans to acquire six to eight narrow-bodied aircraft within the next two years, covering about 20 destinations within the Gulf, South Asia, Middle East and East Africa. The airline plans to undertake trans-continental flights over the next two to three years.
Referring to market demand, Captain Khalid commented: “As per the Industry sources, air traffic in the UAE is estimated to grow at the rate of 15 per cent per annum and the trends are promising. Ras Al Khaimah has a strong traffic base and we will tap into that. We estimate approximately one million passengers a year and the annual projected growth over the next two- three years is 20 per cent.”
RAK Airways also announced that its tickets would be competitively priced. “We will not create conditions for a fare war. We will respect industry norms with regard to pricing policies,” summed up Captain Khalid.
The launch of RAK Airways is aimed at supporting the economic development of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, as it embarks upon an ambitious expansion programme.
