Two new airlines to be launched in UAE

Dubai - The country will be home to six airlines.

The UAE will soon see two new airlines take to the skies.

Last week, it was announced that Sharjah-based Air Arabia and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Aviation Group, have joined hands to launch a new budget carrier based out of the Abu Dhabi airport.

The new carrier - called Air Arabia Abu Dhabi - will be the fifth airline to operate from the UAE after Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia, serving 9.5 million residents. The new carrier will target the low-cost travel market segment in the Middle East region and complement Etihad Airways, said a Press statement released last week.

Etihad and Air Arabia currently operate a combined fleet of 162 aircraft, including 109 by the former and 53 by the latter. Air Arabia flies to 170 destinations across 50 countries through its Sharjah, Morocco and Egypt hubs while Etihad flies to 80 destinations.

Today, India's SpiceJet announced that it has decided to make Ras Al Khaimah its hub and also plans to launch an airline that will be based at RAK International Airport.

The budget carrier signed a memorandum of understanding with the RAK International Airport on Wednesday to start direct flights between RAK and New Delhi from December 2019. It will operate five flights a week and aims to gradually increase the frequency.

It will be the sixth airline to operate from the UAE.