On November 18, India’s SpiceJet signed an agreement on set up its first international hub in Ras Al Khaimah and to later launch an airline from there.
Sanjay Khanna, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport said, “The commencement of SpiceJet passenger flights into RAK Airport is a significant step forward in helping the UAE get back to a normal footing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indian expatriate community in the UAE numbers almost 3.5 million people and constitutes 27 per cent of the population, making connectivity between our two countries an imperative. With UAE and India being each other’s largest trading partners, RAK Airport has an essential role to play in the business and economy of the emirate, especially given Ras Al Khaimah’s efforts to diversify its economy from heavy industry to one that is knowledge-based and underpinned by human capital and tourism.”
SpiceJet looked at various other airports to set up its new hub, but found that Ras Al Khaimah’s still has “a lot of space for growth, which is not the case” with many other regional airports. The chairman said, “This goes beyond trying to provide more connectivity to Ras Al Khaimah … or Europe; we think that there is great potential as well in the logistics space, using Ras Al Khaimah as a port of entry into the UAE and North Africa.”
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