Botir Air of Kyrgyzstan will start its passenger flights from Osh to Sharjah later this month.
"The new connection will help boost business and tourism in both countries, in addition to providing a new direct link to passengers in the UAE and Kyrgyzstan," said Kader Jan Batirov, president of Botir Air.
He said the airline will initially operate one weekly flight and increase its frequency according to demand.
Batirov was in Sharjah to sign an agreement with Sheikh Fahem Mohammed Khalid Al Qasimi, chairman of Pluto Airline.
Air Connection Travel, also owned by Sheikh Fahem, has been appointed as general sales agents for Botir Air.
Mohammed Ramo, general manager of Air Connection Travel, Sharjah, and Moham-med Fatih, regional manager of Botir Air, were also present at the ceremony on Saturday.
Batirov said Sharjah will be the first international destination for his airline, which operates in the CIS only. It will use Tuplov 154 aircraft for its passenger flights. The round trip fare will be Dh 1,645.
He said the airline will also cater to cargo services as about 80 tonnes of cargo are airlifted from the UAE to Kyrgyzstan every week.
"We have great demand on this sector from the business community back home," he said, adding that he hoped to carry tourists from the UAE to Osh - a vibrant city with a lot of attractions for tourists.
Sheikh Fahem said the launch of the new flight will open new avenues for business and tourism in both countries.
"We will also promote the Friends University, also owned by the Kader Jan Group, in the UAE," he said, adding that Sharjah-based Pluto Airline will also enter into joint venture projects with Botir Air to launch flights on new sectors in the future.
Gulf News 2003
