UAE Airline to Buy Four New Aircraft

UAE airline to buy four new aircraft

ABU DHABI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) — RAK Airways of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will place an order for four new aircraft next month, Emirates News Agency reported on Monday.

The new aircraft to be purchased by RAK Airways, the UAE’s fourth airline, will be either Airbus 320 or Boeing 737-800, according to the report.

“We have already initiated the aircraft purchase process and the agreements with the manufacturers will be signed next month,” the airline’s Chief Operating Officer K. Ravindran said.

“The initial deliveries are expected by 2011 or 2012,” he added.

RAK Airways launched the inaugural flight from its hub city RasAl Khaimah in the country’s north to the Bangladeshi capital Dhakain November 2007 with a leased plane. It currently provides services to Dhaka and Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

The airline plans to fly to two or three destinations in India by March, along with destinations in Nepal, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Beirut.

There are three airlines in the UAE besides RAK Airways, namelythe Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, the Dubai-based Emirates Airline and the Sharjah-based Air Arabia.

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