Ras Al Khaimah International Airport
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (Ra's al-Khaymah) مطار رأس الخيمة الدولي | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Department of Civil Aviation | ||||||||||
| Location | Ras al-Khaimah | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Air Arabia | ||||||||||
| Time zone | UAE Standard Time (UTC+04:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 94 ft / 29 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°36′48″N 055°56′20″E / 25.61333°N 55.93889°E | ||||||||||
| Website | rakairport.com | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  OMRK Location in the UAE | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (IATA: RKT, ICAO: OMRK) (alternatively Ra's al-Khaymah, Arabic: مطار رأس الخيمة الدولي) is located in the Persian Gulf sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) south[1] of the town of the same name. The airport has two passenger terminal buildings as well as cargo, aircraft maintenance, and aviation training facilities.[2]
History
In 1976, the airport was inaugurated by the long-time ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi. Unlike Dubai International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport did not develop into an international or regional aviation hub.
In 2007, RAK Airways started operating as the national airline with a hub at the airport. It suspended regular operations in 2008 due to the global economic crisis. It relaunched in 2010 with new branding and management, but suspended operations permanently in 2013.[3] [4] [5]
In 2014, Air Arabia started its commercial flights to different destinations including Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. Air Arabia PJSC has been designated as the national carrier for Ras-al-Khaimah for a period of ten years, extendable thereafter. [6]
The airport was the second in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf to secure the ISO 9001: 2000 accreditation for quality management.[7] Currently, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is being refocused with efforts to attract cargo business, in particular from establishments under the Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Arabia | Cairo, Chittagong, Dhaka, Islamabad, Jeddah, Lahore, Muscat, Peshawar |
| Air India Express | Al Ain, Calicut |
| Enter Air | Seasonal charter: Katowice |
| Travel Service | Prague |
| Travel Service Polska | Seasonal: Katowice |
| Ural Airlines | Charter: Moscow–Domodedovo |
In popular culture
- In 2015, Ras Al Khaimah Airport served as the set for the filming of the Hindi film Airlift starring Akshay Kumar.[8]
References
- ^ a b United Arab Emirates AIP (login required)
- ^ About Us
- ^ "RAK Airways takes to the skies at long last". Arabian Business.
- ^ "RAK Airways: A timeline". Arabian Supply Chain.
- ^ "RAK Airways Not Coming Back". Gulf News.
- ^ "Air Arabia to become official carrier of Ras Al Khaimah". Arabian Business.
- ^ "RAK airport woos European carriers".
- ^ "Akshay Kumar shoots film in Ras Al Khaimah". Deccan Chronicle.
- "RKT Ra'sal-Khaymah Airport". FlightStats. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
