RAK Airways Studies Indian Markets

Posted 05/08/2011

United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based RAK Airways is planning to offer flights to a range of additional destinations in India from Ras Al Khaimah following the arrival of a second Airbus 320.  The aircraft was delivered earlier this month, and according to the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Omar Jahameh, it is now just waiting for the green light from Indian authorities before entering this lucrative market.

"We have approached the Indian ministry concerned for permission to operate our services to more Indian cities.  If the proposal is cleared, we will be able to carry out the plans by the year-end," he said.  RAK Airways already operates flights to Kozhikode, alongside links to Cairo, Chittagong, Dhaka, Doha, and Jeddah.  It plans to serve up to seven Indian destinations including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

"The airline had strong reasons to step up India operations as there was a large community of NRIs working in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and also on account of increasing tourism and business opportunities between the two countries," Omar Jahameh added during a press conference in the Emirate this week.  "More than two million Indians are working in UAE, of whom 25 per cent live and work in the airline's northern home of Ras Al Khaimah."

An estimated 6.44 million O&D passengers travelled between India and the UAE in the past year, up 3.8 per cent on the previous 12 month period.  Emirates Airline dominates this market with a 28.3 per cent share of the traffic followed by Air India Express (19.5 per cent) and Air Arabia (11.0 per cent).  RAK Airways accounted for just 0.6 per cent of the total, carrying an estimated 37,000 O&D passengers on its single route. 

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