Abu Dhabi airline to offer UAE flights from $40

Abu Dhabi’s Rotana Jet has announced a series of double daily domestic flights between the UAE capital and Fujairah, Al Ain and Sharjah, with one-way fares starting from US$40, it was announced.

Rotana Jet announced the scheduled flights in association with Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and followed the recent launch earlier this year of domestic flights to Sir Bani Yas and Delma Island.

Starting from September 19, the double daily flights to Fujairah will be operated by an Embraer ERJ145 aircraft with 50 seats. Flights to Al Ain will commence on September 20 and the Sharjah service will follow later this year.

Connecting passengers to international connections via Abu Dhabi, all inclusive one way fares to Fujairah and Sharjah will start from AED200 (US$54) and Al Ain starts at AED150 (US$40).

“Air connectivity is a key component of any country’s development. At Rotana Jet, we are committed in developing a safe, reliable, and efficient air transport connecting the various emirates of UAE with the capital,” said Dr. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al‐Nahyan, chairman of Rotana Jet.

The announcement comes on the back of Etihad Airways’s signing of a codesharing agreement with local carrier RAK Airways.

The agreement, the first ever between two UAE carriers, will see Etihad Airways place its EY code on the RAK Airways flight between Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi.

In return, RAK Airways will place its RT code on Etihad Airways routes, which initially includes flights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow, Manchester, Dublin, Bangkok and Geneva.

RAK Airways operation between Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi will start on October 3, a statement said.

In a growing trend, Eastern Express, the Fujairah-based airline, is also planning to offer domestic flights within the UAE.

Earlier this year, Eastern Express said it planned to offer return flights to Abu Dhabi starting from AED1,200 (US$326), using a leased Jetstream 41 aircraft. The Fujairah airline will target corporate travelers keen to cut the commute between the two emirates and hopes to break-even within the first three years of operations.