RAK and India discuss improving air links
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Improving air links between Ras Al Khaimah and cities across India was the primary topic of discussion at a meeting held between RAK authorities and the chief minister of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram last week. Saleem PB, president of the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah, said he was anxious to highlight how the absence of good air connections between the Northern Emirate and the Indian Sub Continent was a major hindrance to Indian expatriate community at large – as well as to business, investment and tourism development. The UAE is home to more than two million Indian nationals of whom almost 25 percent live and work in northern Emirate’s catchment area – the majority hailing from Kerala. “They currently face journeys of anything between two and four hours by road just to reach an airport and airline in the UAE that serves destinations in India other than Calicut,” said Saleem. “Couple this with a two to three hour check-in time it becomes a very arduous journey, especially for families. This is even more frustrating given there is an international airport on our doorstep.”Additionally, from a business perspective Saleem said he was keen to see RAK emerge as a leading player in Kerala’s overall growth and development. “To achieve this goal, access in and out of the country for goods as well as people is critical. We have approached the National Carrier of Ras Al Khaimah [RAK Airways] and our National Carrier Air India to commence flights to Kochi, Trivandrum and Mangalore and other Indian Cities. RAK Airways positively responded to us and is ready to commence their operations to these cities with immediate effect. To date, we have not had a response from Air India,” Saleem continued. “There are already more than 1000 Indian companies operating out of Ras Al Khaimah free trade zone alone, where the majority of the investors are from Kerala. Meanwhile investment from Ras Al Khaimah to India is on the rise,” he added. Omar Jahameh, the CEO of RAK Airways, said the discussions in India had proven fruitful. “The objective of our meeting with senior Indian officials was to highlight the continued, overwhelming demand for RAK Airways services to additional destinations in India, and to seek their support in approving our request to operate to Kochi and Trivandrum in Kerala along with other strategic Indian destinations,” he said.
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