Low-cost carrier SpiceJet will set up a joint venture airline in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) along with a local partner, chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said on Wednesday.
SpiceJet will first start flights to RAK early next year and then launch the new airline.
The name of the airline is yet to be finalised. The announcement at a press conference here followed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport last month to develop and promote tourism there and also develop the airport as an aviation hub.
“From Ras Al Khaimah, there are onward (flight) possibilities to eastern Europe,” Mr. Singh said.
SpiceJet also signed an MoU with Bahrain’s flag carrier Gulf Air on Wednesday to explore greater co-operation between the two airlines, including interline and code-share agreement, co-ordinating cargo services, engineering services and pilot training.
In April, SpiceJet signed an initial pact for code share with the Dubai-based Emirates airline.
Mr. Singh said that tying up with so many international airlines did not mean that SpiceJet would not fly directly to both Europe and the U.S. “We need to give our passengers a choice. They should be able to fly directly using SpiceJet or our partner airlines to different parts of Europe and Africa and even the U.S.,” he said.
On possible interest in disinvestment of Air India, Mr. Singh maintained that the national carrier was too big an entity for a small airline such as SpiceJet.
“While we keep looking at what the government has to say, it is still a very tough call for us as far as Air India is concerned,” Mr. Singh said.
