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29 March 2024

RAK Airways eyes code-sharing deals

RAK Airways and SITA sign 6-year multi-million dollar deal on Wednesday (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Waheed Abbas

RAK Airways is focusing on growth through tie-ups and code-sharing deals with other airlines to tap new destinations, said a senior official.

John Brayford, Vice-President Commercial, said the airline is engaged in code-sharing talks with three carriers which would help the passengers and the carriers to improve load and capacity factors.

The UAE’s youngest carrier on Wednesday signed a deal with aviation industry’s IT solution provider SITA to facilitate interlining with other carriers as well as enabling exponential growth in the airline’s business in coming years. The system will be operational from the first week of June 2012, Brayford said.

“It’s very important for us to widen the customer choice. They are not just linked to our network but also seamlessly connected to our partner carriers.”

He said: “We have discussion with a number of travel agents and other airlines for code-sharing and joint partnerships with other airlines but all this is not possible until we have this system in place which interlinks with the others airlines.”

The airline, according to Brayford, will receive two aircraft this year in June and October and will have 12 aircraft by 2015. He said the airline enjoyed higher seat occupancy on the Subcontinent routes of over 70 per cent in early 2012.

With regard to new routes, the airline is actively negotiating with authorities for popular destinations to India and Pakistan, he added.

“We’re not looking at any specific routes this year as this phase of expansion is to improve the connections and frequency of our existing network. We need to thicken the number of flights that we have so that our network connects to each other during the summer period. In the winter session, we’ll be getting another aircraft that will allow us to expand our network. But with regard to specific routes we haven’t made up our minds yet; the new aircraft will be Airbus A320 then we’ll add new routes and those which are in the radius of five hours,” he added.

Hani El Assaad, SITA Regional Vice President Middle East and North Africa, said the six-year, multi-million dollar deal will provide RAK Airways with SITA’s passenger services that are used by more than 120 airlines worldwide. SITA Horizon will provide fare pricing, ticketing, reservations, revenue integrity, passenger revenue accounting, online booking and shopping services. In addition, it will include full departure control services for the airline at its main hub Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. The new integrated system will be used by up to 200 reservations personnel at RAK Airways’ headquarters call centre, as well as at travel agent offices.