RAK Airways goes niche

RAK Airways will start flying in January, operating its first flights to destinations in Iran and India.

Services to Pakistan, Bangaldesh and Sri Lanka will follow later in 2007, and to Russia and the CIS republics in the second year of operation, according to Jack Romero, CEO, RAK Airlines.

“We are simply a niche carrier,” he told ATN’s sister publication, CEO Middle East.

“We are not going to be an airline that focuses its attention on attracting traffic from other areas of the UAE, such as Dubai and Sharjah.”

RAK Airways will be “a network airline operating on the same principles as Etihad and Emirates, but not on their scale of course”, according to Romero.

He said the carrier would fly small- to medium-sized aircraft, and that the initial fleet would boast a Boeing 737-300 with 138 seats and a Boeing 757-200 with 200 seats.

Two aircraft will be added to the fleet each year, he added.

Launch airfares would be US $150 each way, and a 42% load factor is expected in the first year, he said.

RAK Airlines will be the UAE’s fourth national airline, following in the footsteps of Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia.

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