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ADVERTISING: Emirates' marketing team has launched a colourful new campaign, promoting the new airline against the iconic backdrop of the Burj Al Arab.

Despite the abundance of budget carriers in the region, the UAE's newest addition already seems set for success.

Dubai has long been considered one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East, its sandy shores attracting some 30 million visitors a year.

Given the huge amount of air traffic the city generates, it was no surprise to hear the emirate would be launching FlyDubai, a new low cost, short-haul airline.

Set to coincide with the opening of the world's biggest airport, Dubai World Central, FlyDubai's launch will be supported by the city's established carrier, Emirates.

"The actual airline is owned by the government of Dubai," the company's charismatic CEO, Ghaith al Ghaith explains. "Emirates is just helping us start up. They'll be helping with negations, financing and marketing. We're now working on recruiting staff so hopefully we'll be hiring very soon."

He adds that although the carrier hopes to be running as a separate entity by the end of this year, they will still employ certain services from Emirates.

"We'll continue to operate some functions through the bigger airline, for example engineering. We might not have the facilities to have our own department so maintenance can still be provided by them."

After an impressive debut at July's Farnborough International Airshow, expectations for the budget carrier are high. And with 54 aircraft on order, a potential market of two billion people and an eye-catching logo, Ghaith, is confident the airline will be successful.

The local Emirati has spent 21 years working with Emirates airline; the last 14 as executive vice president of commercial operations. Ghaith began his education in Michigan but quickly moved west to escape the bitter North American winters.

After graduating with a business degree from Arizona University in 1986, he moved back to the UAE. A big fan of desert sands and sunny skies, the budget carrier's CEO is pleased with the company's new logo and believes "it's an excellent reflection of the emirate".

Blue and orange swirls will decorate FlyDubai's aircraft, which are designed to depict the city's ever changing coastline. In addition Emirates' marketing team has launched a colourful advertising campaign, promoting the new airline against a backdrop of the iconic Burj Al Arab.

"Dubai is a city with a huge coastline," says Ghaith. "It's growing all the time; developing with new additions and groundbreaking projects like the World and the Palm. That's why we've chosen those shapes and colours. We wanted a sky blue, a sea blue and orange to represent the sands."

Starting operations in the second quarter of 2009, the airline expects to serve some 12 destinations within a year of its launch.

"We've not decided exactly where the launch flight will go. But generally we'll be focusing on the GCC area, India, Pakistan, Iran and the former Soviet Union countries," explains Ghaith.

The carrier announced a US$4 billion order for 54 fuel-efficient Boeing 737s at the airshow but only five of these will be delivered within the first year.

"We'll be flying a combination of routes in order to fully utilise the time. Certain trips will have to be made in the morning and certain trips in the afternoon. We'll use the planes and time as efficiently as possible."

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