Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 5 May 2009: At the Arabian Travel Market Exhibition, held today in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced that it will welcome the first Safi Airways passenger flight to Abu Dhabi International Airport on Thursday 14 May 2009. The new route provides the UAE capital’s first direct air link with Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul.

Safi Airways aircraft

Safi Airways is a young and modern, full-service airline that was launched in the latter half of 2006 with a focus on quality, service and safety, both on the ground and in the air. Fares start form 99 USD/ 370 AED for the one way.

The airline will operate a fleet of Boeing 737-300s from Terminal 2 at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Each of the two flights per week will have a capacity of 128 passengers. The scheduled route from Kabul to Abu Dhabi is expected to appeal to the 150,000 strong Afghan population living in the UAE, as well as business and leisure travellers, which may even choose to change planes to a final destination from Abu Dhabi onwards.

Welcoming the airline to Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President, Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue at the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), said:

"ADAC is delighted to welcome Safi Airways to our growing aviation hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Abu Dhabi is a dynamic and diverse city with an ever-growing population that we aim to serve by continually extending the choices we offer our customers. Safi Airways will be our 44th airline that now flies to and from our airport, and our first new addition for 2009. It will be perfectly placed to serve the large Afghan community in Abu Dhabi. Building our regional network at Abu Dhabi airport is helping our long haul carriers flying from East to West to connect to capacity constraint or service contract markets, such as Kabul."

From May 2009, Safi Airways flights will be available on all GDS (Global Distribution Systems) therefore making it easier and more convenient for passengers to book their flights. No other Afghan carrier offers this convenience to its passengers.

Tilmann Gabriel, President/CEO of Safi Airways stated:

"We are extremely pleased to open up a route into Abu Dhabi, which as the city and Emirate represents a key market as we move to extend our international network".

"We are certain that the Abu Dhabi – Kabul route will serve a growing number of passengers travelling between our two countries, and we are convinced that growing demand will enable us to increase our frequencies in the future."

Safi Airways currently flies directly from Kabul to Dubai, Sharjah and Kuwait, and has built an extensive network in Afghanistan between the cities of Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-E-Sharif and Kabul.

-ENDS-

About Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC):
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is a public joint-stock company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. It was incorporated by Amiri Decree number 5, issued on 4 March 2006, to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure.

In September 2006, ADAC took over responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain international Airports. In 2008, ADAC added Al Bateen private jet airport, formerly Al Bateen military airbase, and Sir Baniyas and Delma Island Airports to its portfolio. These airports all serve different segments of the marketplace and help contribute to Abu Dhabi’s development as a destination for both business and leisure tourism.

Currently under way is the large scale AED 25 (USD6.8) billion re-development and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport to more than 20 million passengers per year. As part of this redevelopment, a second runway and a third terminal have been completed. A new ATC tower and Midfield Terminal Complex will complete the redevelopment within the next few years.

Press Office, ADAC – Abu Dhabi Airports Company 
P.O. Box:       94449, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
Telephone:    +971 2   505 3431
Fax:                +971 2   575 8300
Mobile:           +971 50 2205188
E-mail:           mtaifour@adac.ae
Website:        www.adac.ae 
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