RAK Airways Increases GCC Footprint

Only last week, The HUB reported about RAK Airways’ ambitious expansion plans and how it intends to expand its network to include 35 destinations by 2015. Well, the next stage of its growth has now been confirmed and fresh from announcing its expansion into the Pakistani market earlier this month, the carrier has revealed it will also increase the frequency of flights to Doha and add a new daily link to Kuwait City.

The Qatari capital, Doha, is one of six destinations currently flown by RAK Airways from its Ras Al Khaimah base. It launched flights in July on a four times weekly basis but will increase this to a daily frequency from October 30.

“With the latent opportunities in Qatar in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup, we have increased the frequency of our flights, to enhance our offering for business travellers looking to capitalise on the resulting rise in trade and tourism,” said Omar Jahameh, Chief Executive Officer, RAK Airways.

The new daily Kuwait City route will be launched on November 20 and will further extend RAK Airways’ footprint across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. An estimated 1.3 million O&D passengers travelled between Kuwait and the UAE in the past year, up 0.3 per cent on the previous 12 month period. The majority of these travelled from Dubai (1.0 million; 82.6 per cent) with smaller passenger flows via Abu Dhabi (132,000; 10.5 per cent) and Sharjah (87,000; 7 per cent).

RAK Airways’ entry into the Kuwait market and frequency increase to Doha has been made possible by the arrival of a third Airbus A320 and the carrier plans to grow to a fleet of ten aircraft by 2015. Its network strategy is aligned to the huge expatriate work force within the Middle East and the growing leisure and business traffic between Middle East and other countries.

At the World Routes forum in Berlin, Germany earlier this month, Rajendran Vellapalath, Vice President Corporate Strategy and Planning, RAK Airways confirmed to The HUB that the airline was looking to open up services to four destinations during winter 2011/2012, so a further route announcement could still be on the cards. This destination, although not confirmed by the airline, is expected to be the Sudanese capital Khartoum, which will be served three times weekly subject to Government approval.

“With the ambitious growth plans for Ras Al Khaimah and the Northern Emirates catchment area, especially from a tourism and business development, RAK Airways plans to serve up to 35 destinations by 2015 all within a five-hour radius,” Vellapalath added.