FlyEgypt starts operations connecting Cairo with RAK

The northern emirate aims to boost connectivity with other destinations

Egypt’s low-cost carrier FlyEgypt started its operations to Ras Al Khaimah. Sarah Dea/The National

Egypt’s low-cost carrier flyEgypt has began operations to Ras Al Khaimah.

The airline will operate thrice-weekly flights connecting northern emirate and the Egyptian capital Cairo, according to a statement from the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport on Friday.

It will also start twice-weekly direct flights from Suhag in Egypt to Ras Al Khaimah.

“Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is determined to play an instrumental role in repositioning the aviation sector as a major driver for economic activities in the new normal and this new partnership is just one of many that the airport is establishing in pursuit of this goal," Sanjay Khanna, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, said.

He also said the emirate is committed to open up more routes, “with further partnership announcements to be made over the next two months.”

Ras Al Khaimah expects a 20 per cent annual increase in the number of visitors to the emirate in 2021, driven by easing border restrictions in the second half of the year and robust domestic demand, its tourism development chief said.

The emirate is wooing new markets in Europe and the Gulf to attract more tourists, increasing its hotel room supply, expanding its tourism investment budget, intensifying marketing efforts to draw remote workers and extending Covid-19 relief packages to the industry, Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, told The National earlier this year.

The emirate hosted 830,000 visitors in 2020, down from 1.1 million in 2019, according to official government data.

Indian low-cost carrier Spice Jet also launched services to Ras Al Khaimah last year.

RAK Airport already signed agreements with a number of carriers in the last three months to either commence passenger operations or extend existing ones with added frequencies.