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RAK Airways set to double fleet size

RAK Airways will double its fleet size in the next 12 months to help the airline explore more markets in addition to increased frequencies, according to chief executive officer John Brayford.

The airline will get its third aircraft delivery by the end of March next year and fourth in November 2013, Brayford told reporters at a media briefing on Monday. He said that these deliveries will help the airline to launch more destinations and frequencies on its existing routes.

Brayford said the carrier will start its domestic service to Abu Dhabi from October 3 with a fare of Dh410 for a return flight. A one-way travel will take about 45 minutes. “We are proud to be the first UAE flag carrier scheduled domestic carrier,” he said, adding: “Initially, there will be four flights per week and then daily from December 12 and double daily from March 13, 2013.”

Brayford said the third aircraft delivery will help the airline to double its daily flights to Abu Dhabi, daily flight to Calicut, new route of Dammam, and increased frequency on other existing routes. The fourth aircraft will enable the airline to double the number of flights, he added.

RAK Airways has already signed a code-share agreement with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways that will allow the former to book passengers for five international sectors — London, Manchester, Dublin, Bangkok and Geneva.

The first ever agreement between two UAE carriers will see Etihad Airways place its EY code on the RAK Airways flight between Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi. In return, RAK Airways will place its RT code on Etihad’s five agreed routes. “We hope to add Germany and the US shortly and agreed that we would not compete with Etihad,” Brayford said. The airline serves nine destinations with two aircraft at the moment. It will add Abu Dhabi as a 10^th destination and then five new international sectors. RAK Airways has already started bookings for five new sectors, according to the company officials.

“We believe in putting the customer at the centre of everything we do and, with this exciting partnership, we are able to offer residents of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah a much wider choice of destinations and also, for the first time, a direct link to the capital city, Abu Dhabi,” he said.

Since its relaunch in October 2010, RAK Airways has worked on building passenger numbers, filling 250,000 seats in 2011 while gradually expanding its destination network to Africa, Middle East and Asia.

This month Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry and RAK Airways signed their first ever GDS participation agreement.

— abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com