RAK Airways to purchase four aircraft

Ras Al Khaimah: RAK Airways will sign agreements for the purchase of at least four new aircraft next month, according to chief operating officer K. Ravindran.

Speaking at the Ras Al Khaimah Conference 2008, Ravindran said: "We have already initiated the aircraft purchase process and agreements will be signed with the manufacturers next month. The initial deliveries are expected by 2011 or 2012 and until that time we will be going for leased aircraft." The new aircraft would be either the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737- 800.

Ravindran said that RAK Airways, which started flying in November 2007 with one leased aircraft, will have three leased aircraft by April 2008. The airline hopes to expand the fleet to eight aircraft by April 2009.

He said RAK Airways is looking to fly to two-three destinations in India by March this year along with destinations in Nepal, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Beirut. The airline now offers services to Dhaka and Colombo.

He said that the response to the airline was remarkable with the Dhaka route having over 70 per cent capacity. The Colombo sector is also receiving good response.

New markets

"We are looking to new markets in East Africa, Far East and Europe after we consolidate our regional and South Asian markets," he said.

Ravindran said that the airline would have a capacity to fly 1.4 million passengers by April 2009 and it hopes to carry at least one million passengers, at 70 per cent capacity.

"The massive tourism projects being implemented in Ras Al Khaimah and the projected population increase is expected to boost the prospects of the airline.

Ravindran said that the airline will adopt a hub and spoke network strategy by attracting passengers from other countries to Ras Al Khaimah and then flying them to other destinations.