Air Arabia to connect Chittagong next month

Air Arabia has announced it will start flights to Chittagong next month from its new hub in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, strengthening its connectivity with Bangladesh.

The Sharjah-based low-cost carrier will run three flights a week from in Ras Al Khaimah from September 2, the airline said in a statement on Saturday.

Chittagong, the country's second-largest city with a population of over 6.5 million, becomes the 98th destination serviced by Air Arabia worldwide and second in Bangladesh after Dhaka.

The airline currently runs 14 flights to Dhaka a week.

Adel Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, said: "As we close in on our 100th destination worldwide, it is fitting that we are strengthening our connectivity with a market that possesses such strong growth potential for both tourism and business.”

He said the ever growing appeal of the airline's flights, underpinned by its core value of making flying affordable for everyone, is why Air Arabia is considered the airline of choice for thousands of passengers who travel between Bangladesh and the UAE every month.

In the first half of 2014, Air Arabia opened its second hub in the UAE and fourth worldwide at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport following a long-term strategic partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation.