Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomed the first commercial flight of AirBlue, Pakistan’s largest privately-operated airline. With this, Abu Dhabi becomes the airline’s third international destination and second in the UAE.

Initially set to operate four flights per week from Lahore to Abu Dhabi, AirBlue officials said that it was proposed 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 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, said Sarosh Bhatti, general manager Marketing of Airblue.

'The airline becomes the 40th airline to operate from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Following our 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,” said Mohammed Al Bulooki, VP, Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue, ADAC.-TradeArabia News Service