Air Arabia to start service to Kozhikode soon

DUBAI: Low-cost carrier Air Arabia is in the final stages of a plan to launch service between Kozhikode, the third largest city in the Indian southern state of Kerala, and the airline's hub in Sharjah.

Air Arabia announced on Wednesday that it will launch service to Kozhikode (Calicut) beginning on February 26 subject to final approval from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

"We are pleased to announce the launch of service to our newest destination in India, demonstrating once again Air Arabia's unmatched commitment to the subcontinent," said A K Nizar, the airline's head of Commercial Department.

Roundtrip flights between Kozhikode and Sharjah will initially operate three times per week, expanding to six times a week by May end, a move that could prove beneficial to the large Indian expatriate community in the UAE.

Air Arabia is the first airline from the Middle East to commence operations to Kozhikode.

"The addition of Kozhikode to our growing destination network is particularly significant for the Indian expatriate population in the UAE and wider Gulf region, which includes an especially large percentage of non-resident Indians," Nizar said.

Kozhikode is also the carrier's third destination in Kerala and tenth destination in India, a press release said. Currently, the carrier provides daily roundtrip service to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in the state.

"We are confident that the launch of Air Arabia service to Kozhikode will prove highly popular with both residents and the increasing number of visitors who seek to explore this historical city on the Arabian Sea," Nizar said.