UAE's RAK Airways restarts ops with India, Saudi trips

United Arab Emirates-based carrier RAK Airways restarted flights on Sunday, after over a year of suspension, with trips to Saudi Arabia and India and tickets priced as low as AED10 ($2.72), it said in a statement.

The airline will operate four flights per week each to Jeddah and southern Indian city of Calicut.

"Jeddah is the gateway to Saudi Arabia's holiest sites and we expect a steady stream of traffic there, not least for those wishing to perform Umrah or Haj," said Chief Executive Omar Jahameh in the statement.

Calicut was chosen as the gateway to South Indian state Kerala, home to a large number of UAE's expatriate workforce, he said.

The carrier, which aims to differentiate itself from competition by offering lower fares, said it had received over 400 bookings within four hours of restarting its website.

RAK Airways, based in the UAE's most northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, had suspended operations in May 2009 due to tough economic conditions in the wake of the global financial crisis. (Reuters)

Oct 10,2010