Exclusive: Fujairah readies for passenger flights from India, plans to launch its own carrier

Exclusive: Fujairah readies for passenger flights from India, plans to launch its own carrier

Air India, Spice Jet, IndiGo, Air India Express and Vistara are the Indian airlines currently operating scheduled flights to the UAE.

Al Boloushi said FIA was expecting the Indian airline to start operations before Ramadan or soon after Eid. “But things are taking time, and they [the airline] are waiting for the final approval from their top management,” Boloushi said.

Meanwhile, discussions are also in progress with many international carriers from other countries. “We are in discussions with several carriers from the East and West, and we are getting good feedback from them. Hopefully, we will soon have additional air carriers starting operations in Fujairah.”

Airport expansion

Abu Dhabi Airports is leading the expansion of Fujairah International Airport.

In 2018, Abu Dhabi Airports awarded a contract to the joint venture of Orascom Construction and Al Sahraa General Transport & Clearance for the expansion of Fujairah International Airport.

Currently, the secondary runway is 90 percent complete, with a commissioning deadline of August 2022, Al Boloushi said. “Once we finish the handover of the new runway, we will start work on the existing runway extension and rehabilitation, which has a commissioning target date of March 2023.”

Integrated tourism drive

The government of Fujairah is on an ambitious drive to diversify