First domestic flight takes off from Abu Dhabi airport

Move follows recent announcement by RAK Airways to launch to launch its first domestic flight to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Rotana Jet on Wednesday took off with the UAE’s first domestic flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Fujairah International Airport, according to airport body, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).

With plans to expand its domestic route network, the domestic carrier will start operating double daily flights to Al Ain starting September 26 with flights to Sharjah to follow soon after. Besides, the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah route would be served with a frequency of two flights a day.

The new routes will be operated by 50-seater Embraer ERJ145 aircraft, Rotan Jet said. The carrier also said recently that it expects to start services to Ras Al Khaimah and Ruwais soon, without divulging a specific time period.

“The inaugural flight follows last week’s announcement about the launch of twice-a-day services to Fujairah, Al Ain and Sharjah from Abu Dhabi International Airport, in an initiative by Rotana Jet to extend its domestic route network,” ADAC said in a statement.

The move closely follows last month’s announcement by RAK Airways to launch its first domestic flight to Abu Dhabi. The Ras Al Khaimah-based carrier is expected to launch the service from October 3, in an attempt to strengthen its foothold in the regional aviation market.

Rotana Jet currently has a fleet of two aircraft that is expected to grow to four by the end of this year and to eight by next year.

Meanwhile, according to industry experts, demand for domestic flights in the UAE is unlikely to take off enough to make the venture economically viable. According to Peter Morris, chief analyst at aviation consultancy, Ascend Worldwide, flying domestically tends to be “less profitable” than international flights around the world. “On a domestic business route, you need frequency, frequency and frequency. That’s the single mantra that defines what is successful,” he recently told Gulf News.