Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, has signed an agreement with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to start operations on October 3, providing another option for air travel in the Northern Emirates.
The service — the carrier's third in the Emirates after Abu Dhabi and Dubai — will operate on a year-round schedule between the UAE's northernmost emirate and the airline's Manama hub, connecting Ras Al Khaimah to regional and international destinations, Gulf Air said in a statement on Saturday.
The agreement was signed by Zayed Alzayani, chairman of Gulf Air's board, and Sheikh Salem bin Sultan, chairman of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
In attendance were Waleed AlAlawi, acting chief executive of Gulf Air, Atanasios Titonis, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, and Raki Phillips, chief executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA).
“This agreement expands Ras Al Khaimah International Airport’s airspace by introducing multiple destinations from east to west. It is a great development to cater for the needs of regional and international travellers,” Sheikh Salem said in the statement.
“This agreement enhances the services between Bahrain and the UAE, and we are delighted to have this in partnership with Gulf Air.”
Gulf Air's new service is expected to give a boost to Ras Al Khaimah, which is heavily promoting tourism — considered as central to the GCC's long-term economic growth — and has unveiled several initiatives to attract visitors.
This month, the emirate was included in Time magazine's World's Greatest Places of 2022 list, an annual compilation of 50 must-visit destinations, which praised Ras Al Khaimah's adventure offerings and “stunning geodiversity”.
Last year, RAK TDA announced a Dh500m investment to develop new attractions at Jebel Jais that will “integrate seamlessly into the mountain ecosystem”.
Ras Al Khaimah is on track to boost the number of visitors by 12 per cent this year to more than 1.11 million in 2022, Mr Phillips last month said. The emirate hosted almost 1 million visitors in 2021.
Discussions between Gulf Air and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport began in early 2021, and a preliminary agreement was signed by the two parties at the Dubai Air Show that built on these talks.
Gulf Air, founded in 1950 and one of the biggest and oldest airlines in the Middle East, operates scheduled flights from Bahrain International Airport to cities in the region, Europe, Africa, the Indian Sub-continent and the Far East.
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport was established in 1976 and operates passenger and cargo services, and is a gateway for an increasing number of international visitors.
