UK International Airlines (UKIA) has thrown open its doors for business on Queens Road - only the fourth British airline to be granted a Long-Haul Scheduled Passenger Service Air Operators Certificate alongside British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
The firm is the brainchild of the Rotherham-based Khaliq family and plans to corner the unique market of British Asians travelling abroad.

Although new, it already owns two Boeing 767 aircraft - costing more than $100 million each - and bosses intend to fork out for two more planes around May, followed by another pair at the end of 2008.

UKIA launched its first flight from East Midlands Airport and now flies twice a week to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and Islamabad in Pakistan.

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But there are much bigger plans in the pipeline.

There should be three flights a week and planes from Manchester at the start of 2008, followed closely by take-offs from an airport in London.

In the next 18 months the company wants to be heading to Lahore, Karatchi, India, Gujarati, Bangalor, New Delhi, Sri Lanka, Nepal and even tourist destination Goa. Destinations including Canada and the USA are also on the agenda in 2009.

Commercial director Salim Arshad, who was headhunted from Karachi in Pakistan, said the initial outputs of launching an airline are so huge it can not make any profits for at least two years.

"We want to be flying all the time because planes still cost a lot of money even when they are on the ground - even the parking charges are very high," he said. "This is the front end of business. It can't get bigger than this in terms of daily activity."

He believes UKIA will be able to corner the niche market in a highly regulated, cost intensive and very demanding business - even though the owners had no previous experience in the industry.

"This is not a business for the faint hearted or those who don't have the determination to persevere," Mr Arshad said.

The business works under the slogan 'Connecting communities, blending cultures' and tickets are available at www.ukinternationalairlines.com or via travel agents.

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