RAK Airways signs passenger service deal

RAK Airways Wednesday said it has selected Horizon, the passenger service solution from SITA, the IT provider for the air transport industry, in a six-year multi-million dollar deal. As a part of the deal, SITA Horizon will provide the Ras Al Khaimah-based carrier fare pricing, ticketing, reservations, revenue integrity, passenger revenue accounting, online booking and shopping services. In addition, it will include full departure control services for the airline at its main hub at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, the carrier said in a statement, adding that the new integrated system will be used by up to 200 reservations personnel at RAK Airways headquarters call centre, as well as at travel agent offices. "Signing up with SITA Horizon will meet all of RAK Airways' passenger management needs as well as enable exponential growth in the airline's business in the coming years," Omar Jahameh, CEO of RAK Airways, said in a statementHe added that the solution will give the carrier the ability to operate "interline partnerships". "And we are now ready to sign our first interline agreement with a partner carrier," he said. Hani Al Assad, SITA Regional Vice-President Middle East and North Africa, said: "SITA Horizon will provide a complete passenger service solution for all areas of RAK Airways' operations. It will allow the airline to develop its strategy of being unique among the region's airlines as a hybrid carrier that offers full service to passengers with interline partnerships with other carriers." RAK Airways currently carries just under half-a-million passengers a year to 11 destinations and plans to carry around 2.5 million passengers per year over the coming six years.