UAE's Air Arabia Operates First Direct Flight To India

Air Arabia, an airline based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had its first-ever direct flight to India on Wednesday.

Travelers will now be able to fly nonstop from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to Kozhikode International Airport in the Indian state of Kerala three times a week.

The inaugural flight was preceded by a ceremony, which was held at RAK International Airport. It was attended by Engr. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah; Satish Kumar Sivan, consul-general of India to Dubai and the Northern Regions; Adel Al Ali, group chief executive of AirArabia; trade partners and more.

"The introduction of this new route underscores Ras Al Khaimah's commitment to advancing its aviation sector and enhancing connectivity," the chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation said, according to WAM.

"Air Arabia's new service aligns with our vision of developing Ras Al Khaimah's regional and international air travel which contributes significantly to the growth of our tourism sector," he added.

The group chief executive of Air Arabia also praised the direct flight to India, saying, "This new route not only strengthens our commitment to offering convenient and value-driven travel options between both cities but also reflects the strong tourism and trade ties between both nations."

Air Arabia took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to share a photo of officials cutting a cake to celebrate the milestone.

"With a special inaugural ceremony, we marked today the first flight from Ras Al Khaimah to Kozhikode. We look forward to welcoming you onboard our flights!" the photo's caption read.

The official X account of the Consulate General of India, Dubai shared the post on its own page, noting, "Inaugural flight from Ras Al Khaimah to Kozhikode by @airarabiagroup with a frequency of 3 flights weekly launched in the presence of Engr. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Dept of Civil Aviation, RAK; CG Satish Sivan & Adel Al Ali, Grp Chief Ex @airarabiagroup."

Earlier this month, the UAE and India's Ministry of Education formalized a cooperation agreement to strengthen their partnership in education. The signing took place during the official visit of Indian education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his delegation to the Middle Eastern country.

In August, the UAE started bilateral trade using local currencies with India as it marked the first transaction of 1 million barrels of oil under the Local Currency Settlement (LCS) system.

The trade between both countries hit $72.8 billion in 2021, as per IBEF. This year, the trade between both nations is projected to surpass $88 billion.