Troubled airline 'no longer in service' - report

RAK Airways has stopped all its operations and is no longer in services, it was reported on Sunday.

The Ras Al Khaimah carrier has not operated flights since last December due to the economic downturn and has now reportedly stopped its services.

It was expected to resume operations this year, but chairman Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi has cast doubts over the airline’s future.

On Sunday, Business 24/7 quoted Sheikh Omar as saying that the decision to suspend operations was purely commercial, adding that there was no point keeping the airline in business.

No one was available to make an official comment to Arabian Business but an employee told a reporter, posing as a customer, that flights had been suspended since February or March.

But she added services were expected to resume at an unspecified date. “There is no definite date when we will restart our flights,” she said.

Another source close to the company told Arabian Business that the airline’s operations had been suspended for a reorganisation – but insisted services would return.

It is unclear when RAK Airways suspended its flights, with some reports claiming most aircraft were grounded last December. They added that 60 jobs were cut in response to the economic downturn, forcing RAK Airways to scale back its operation to charter flights and just one Boeing 757-200.

The airline was established in 2006 to support Ras Al Khaimah’s economic development, according to its website.

Various destinations, such as Columbo, Beirut and Sofia, are still listed on RAK Airways’ website with no option for booking online.

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