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28 March 2024

Now flying Abu Dhabi to Sharjah is cheaper than cab ride

Published
By V M Sathish

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Rotana Jet Aviation, the UAE’s first domestic airline, on Sunday announced the launch of to-and-fro daily services to Fujairah, Al Ain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah from the UAE’s capital.

Rotana Jet is also expanding its short-haul domestic flights to increase frequency and destinations and will expand the fleet size to eight Embraer ERJ145 aircraft that can carry 50 passengers.

The new double daily flights will connect to most of the international flights out of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

All-inclusive, one-way fare to Fujiarah, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, starts from Dh200 and to Al Ain, the ticket fare starts from Dh150 per ticket.

These fares are competitive when compared to a taxi fares of between Dh300 and Dh500 from Abu Dhabi to these three emirates.

Effective from September 19, Rotana Jet will be operating two daily flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Fujairah. 

After launching the Fujairah–Abu Dhabi route, a new services will link the UAE capital city to Al Ain with effect from September 26 and flights to Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ruwais will follow, the airline officials announced.

Dr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of Rotana Jet, said the new airline will be exclusively focused on  domestic  aviation – executive charter jet service and scheduled airline service, with an economy fare rate, beating the taxi fare from Abu Dhabi to many of the new destinations.

Dr Sheikh Ahmed announced the new services at a press conference attended by Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of ADAC and Mohammed Al Salami, chairman, Fujairah Department of Civil Aviation.

Rotana Jet is targeting the leisure and business travelers who can now save several hours by opting to fly and check out of the airport within five minutes of landing.

The domestic flight services will also enhance the connectivity from Abu Dhabi Airport to the rest of UAE. 

The UAE’s first domestic airline service was launched almost three months ago by launching the first scheduled domestic flight to Sir Bani Yas and Dalma Island.

The domestic routes will be operated by Embraer ERJ 145 with 50 seats. The new airline has started operations with a fleet of four aircraft. Four more will be added by next year to meet the expected increase in demand from domestic and international tourists as well as business travellers and other domestic users.

The flights linking Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, Fujiarah and  Ras Al Khaimah will be of less than half-an-hour duration. The airline officials claimed that there will not be any hassles of check in or tight security or customs procedures.

Sheikh Ahmed said the domestic airline is considering flying from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, but the first priority is to connect emirates that require more travelling time from the capital city. “The travel time from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is too short, but we are considering a domestic flight connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” he said in response to a question by this website.

He said more tourists are coming to the UAE following disturbance in other regional tourist hot spots like Egypt, Syria and other Arab countries.

“In today’s world the consumers’ travel behaviour have changed rapidly. They are looking for quicker, comfortable and more efficient ways of reaching from one place to another without spending much time.

"Rotana Jet has a contributory role in facilitating this and announcement of our double daily flights to Fujiarah, Al Ain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah from Abu Dhabi International Airport is just a beginning,” the Chairman added.

 Tickets can be booked through www.rotanajet.ae or through the company's call centre or through travel agents.

Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of ADAC, said the proposed new airport under construction will be completed by 2017, making it one of the biggest airports in the country, complementing the World, the biggest airport planned in Jebel Ali.

“Abu Dhabi Airports Company sees the necessity of connecting the capital’s airport with the other key airports across the emirates, to further develop connectivity not only for Abu Dhabi but for the whole of the UAE. As one of the fastest growing airports around the world, with the launch of Rotana Jet domestic flights, Abu Dhabi International Airport is providing high-end and efficient services to the needs of diverse customers,” Mansoori said.

ADAC, a public joint stock company, owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is currently redeveloping the Abu Dhabi International Airport to a capacity of 40 million passengers per year and has already completed a second run way and a third terminal.

Mohammed Al Salami, Chairman, Fujairah Department of Civil Aviation, said the new domestic flight is in complete alignment with the aviation business strategy for Fujiarah International Airport and the economic development of the emirate.

Rotana Jet domestic routes will ease passenger flows within the UAE and enhance Fujiarah’s role as a strategic location on the east coast of the UAE rapidly developing on various fronts –industrial, commercial and tourism sectors.

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