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Touching down at 12:00hrs local time today, Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomed the first commercial flight into the UAE capital by AirBlue, Pakistan’s largest privately-operated airline.
Initially set to operate four flights per week from Lahore to Abu Dhabi, AirBlue officials at the reception ceremony, held in honour of the occasion, signalled that it proposes to increase these frequencies, in line with demand, to a twice daily service in the near future.
With an estimated 300,000 Pakistani expatriates living in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi – around 50 per cent of the UAE’s total Pakistani community – AirBlue’s new routes will immediately benefit a significant population of workers and families in the country by offering greater options and benefits for travel between the two countries.
Having already established strong domestic operations in Pakistan from the airline’s commencement of operations in 2004, AirBlue’s commitment and prioritization towards servicing the important UAE-Pakistan route is clear as Abu Dhabi becomes the airline’s third international destination and second into the UAE.
At the welcome ceremony held at the Al Dar Lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport today, Sarosh Bhatti, General Manager - Marketing of Airblue said:
“We are extremely pleased to be opening up a route into Abu Dhabi as the city and Emirate represents a key market as we move to extend our international network.”
“We are certain that the Abu Dhabi – Pakistan route will serve a growing number of passengers between our two countries and we are hopeful that demand will see us able to increase our frequencies to and from the UAE capital in a short period of time.”
In addition to AirBlue increasing its international network, another milestone was noted at the reception ceremony today as Abu Dhabi Airports Company celebrated Air Blue’s arrival by confirming that the Pakistani carrier was the 40th airline to operate out of the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Mohammed Al Bulooki, VP, Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue, ADAC said:
“We are, of course, pleased to welcome AirBlue to Abu Dhabi on this unique occasion but it is also pleasing to note that their arrival is reason for further celebration in that the airline becomes the 40th airline to operate from Abu Dhabi International Airport. In line with the expansion and planning efforts, it is clear that an ever increasing number of commercial carriers are seeing the benefits of operating from the UAE capital and Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
“This in turn provides greater accessibility to key destinations worldwide and, importantly, greater choice for all our existing and future passengers.”
From 24 August, Air Blue will operate the service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. In-bound flights will arrive in Abu Dhabi at 12:00hrs (13:00hrs after 1 September) and out-bound flights will depart at 13:00hrs (14:00hrs after 1 September). Average flight time is three hours.
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