AIR ARABIA, the newly designated carrier of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, has joined the emirate’s tourism and aviation authorities to announce the operational details of its soon-to-open hub at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, its fourth international base and second in the UAE.
During a joint press conference with the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the Tourism Development Authority, Air Arabia announced that starting May 6, 2014, it will offer direct services to eight routes from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, giving an immediate boost to the emirate’s rapidly growing tourism sector. In February 2014, Air Arabia and the Ras Al Khaimah DCA entered into a long-term strategic partnership to significantly increase the number of destinations accessible to the residents of Ras Al Khaimah and to bring more tourists within reach of the emirate. From its hub at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, Air Arabia will follow exactly the same value-for-money business model as it does from its primary base in Sharjah. Two new Airbus A320 aircraft will initially be based at the airport to serve regular routes to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Cairo in Egypt; Muscat in Oman; Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar in Pakistan; Dhaka in Bangladesh; and Calicut in India, which will be added shortly after launch.In addition to increasing the accessibility of Ras Al Khaimah to international passengers, this partnership is anticipated to provide a boost to the local economy through the increase in tourism flow as well as the job opportunities for Air Arabia employees who will be permanently based at the airport.