Air India Express launches flights to Ras Al Khaimah
Air India Express, India’s leading low cost carrier, has launched flights to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the northern emirate.
The move follows the announcement of scheduled flights by Qatar Airways between Ras Al Khaimah and Doha as well as development projects at RAK International.
The latest announcement was made during a press conference attended by His Excellency Engr. Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Airport and Department of Civil Aviation; His Excellency Mr. Muralidharan, the Deputy Consul General of India; Mr. Mohammed Qazi, CEO and Board Member RAK International Airport; Mr. K. Shyamsunder, Chief Executive Officer, Air India Express; Mr. Melwin D’Silva, Regional Manager – Gulf, Middle East & Africa and the heads of the Airport Police Department, Airport Immigration Department and Customs.
Expat community
Air India Express will initially offer four flights per week to Kozhikode (Calicut), with plans to expand to a daily service. The growing number of Indian expatriates in the Northern Emirates has had to cope with limited options from air carriers over the past few years as demand has risen, and it’s hoped the new route will help to alleviate those issues.
His Excellency Engr. Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Airport and Department of Civil Aviation, said: “I am delighted to welcome Air India Express to Ras Al Khaimah. There was much need for this connectivity, but we also believe that this route may require more than a daily frequency to satisfy the growing demand. We would therefore urge the authorities to consider the needs of the passengers and increase seat allocations for high demand sectors.”
Mohammed Qazi, Ras Al Khaimah International’s CEO, added: “India has strong ties with Ras Al Khaimah for the business and leisure markets, going both ways. We are confident that the route will be a great success, as the market already exists and is growing.
“We hope to see Air India Express grow its footprint in the Northern Emirates, both in terms of frequencies and routes. As well as passengers originating in Ras Al Khaimah, the Airport is easily accessible from Fujairah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Sharjah, and with quick passenger processing, efficient aircraft turnaround, no slot restriction and free car parking, we are the ideal location for low cost airlines to operate from.”
