Bahrain’s Gulf Air mulling flights to UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah Airport

Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RAK International Airport) has signed an MoU with Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air to explore the possibility of starting flights from the kingdom to the emirate.

“We are always keen to explore ways to enhance the connectivity between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE. As a boutique carrier, we look forward to adding Ras Al Khaimah to our network of destinations,” said Gulf Air’s acting CEO Captain Waleed AlAlawi.

“We are extremely impressed with the facilities that RAK International Airport provides, which will serve the high standards our passengers expect from Gulf Air,” added AlAlawi.

Sanjay Khanna, Chief Executive Officer of RAK International Airport, meanwhile said: “We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Gulf Air to set the stage for flight services between Bahrain and Ras Al Khaimah – along with the Northern Emirates – and enhance Ras Al Khaimah International Airport’s connectivity to destinations around the world.

“Gulf-state connectivity is a key tenet of our expansion strategy, and with its long history, commendable track record, and vast network, Gulf Air is an ideal partner for this mission. Aiming to build connectivity between the Emirate and the Kingdom of Bahrain, this move will allow residents, expats, and tourists in the Northern Emirates of the UAE to connect as far as the Philippines in the east and London in the west,” Khanna stated.

Earlier this month, Indian carrier SpiceJet expanded its operations from RAK Airport to five more cities including Mumbai, Cochin, Amritsar, Lucknow and Jaipur, besides increasing frequencies to its existing Delhi-Ras Al Khaimah-Delhi route.

Read: SpiceJet adds five destinations to India from UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah Airport

UAE low-cost carrier Air Arabia too recently introduced an all-new service from Ras Al Khaimah to the Bangladesh capital city of Dhaka, besides resuming its previous services to several cities in Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Read: Air Arabia announces new service from Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah aims to attract 2.9 million visitors per year by 2025 and tourism is central to its economic diversification strategy.