Ras Al Khaimah: Tourist numbers in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) have been steadily increasing and are expected to hit 2.5 million in 2012, and the emirate's airport is set to play a crucial role in reaching those numbers.
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport chief executive officer Roland Blaney said: "We're making sure that our airport is an airport of excellence, and we are more than ready for any requests so we can ensure visitors arrive feeling that they have already started to receive the special treatment."
According to the Oxford Business Group, transport already contributed 8 per cent to the economy, and hotels and restaurants contributed 2 per cent. The airport hopes to boost capacity to 3 million passengers within 15 years, up from 242,000 in 2008. To do that, it would need Dh600 million worth of financing.
"Many residents in the UAE have recently discovered our beautiful coastline, even though the summer is traditionally a little quieter due to the heat. Overseas tourists are still arriving, even though the global financial crisis is still supposed to have an effect on people's holiday plans," Blaney said.
RAK airport still handled around seven flights a day during the quieter summer period and was gearing up to launch RAK Airways operations by the end of the year. RAK Investment Authority chairman Dr Khater Massa'ad said: "RAK Airways is operating as a charter at present and is not meant to compete with anyone else. [the big scheduled airlines] ". "The company is supposed to make money and are reasonably profitable now," Dr Massa'ad said.
The Oxford Business Group's RAK 2010 guide said RAK Airways had invested more than $27 million (Dh99.3 million) in infrastructure development and while traffic had dipped at the airport, new facilities were opening this year.
Many enquiries
"We're constantly improving the airport with new technologies, upgrading the runway with new lights, refreshing the terminal, and look towards handling more VIP flights as well as developing aircraft maintenance facilities," said Blaney. "We are receiving many enquiries from a variety of aviation-related organisations, and thus the master plan will be constructed sooner than later."
RAK Airport could take advantage of being small and was thus able to offer ‘value for money' to all clients, whether charter, scheduled training or private jets, Blaney indicated.
"We want to keep the warm welcome of a small airport to match the experience that our customers have when they reach their hotels. We like to act as a catalyst for people visiting our emirate via and wish to work with the other member of the RAK tourism team in making sure that people can fly directly to out airport rather than arrive by bus from somewhere else," he said.
Blaney said the high season was expected to start again in October, and as per pervious years, the airport expected to again be busy with air charter and tour operators from Europe.
Blaney said Oman Air was now operating daily flights, although slightly fewer during the summer months, while other scheduled airlines had been in contact to analyse the benefits of the airport serving the northern emirates.
"We also used to have tourists from Italy flying in. While we expect, in the future to see the new demand coming from China, and even from the UK, as word spreads of the touristic delights of RAK, and the fine hotels that are being opened, and indeed are already open," Blaney said.
