Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia will become the designated carrier for UAE's Ras Al Khaimah emirate under an agreement signed yesterday (February 2), a report said.

Air Arabia will now be flying from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in addition to its existing base in Sharjah under the deal with Ras Al Khaimah’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the Gulf News report said.

The move is aimed at boosting the emirate's tourism. "We are confident that this partnership will help us achieve our long-term goals,” Shaikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of the DCA, was quoted as saying in the report.

The partnership follows the demise of RAK Airways, which last December abruptly announced the immediate suspension of services, the report said.