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From the UAE "Gulf News"(21/10):
"Pluto Airlines, Sharjah's first private airline, has entered into a joint venture with Hornbill Skyways of Sarawak State in Malaysia to operate charter flights between Europe and Malaysia.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last Monday opens new avenues between Sarawak and Sharjah to promote tourism and trade. The agreement was signed by Mohammed Ramo, commercial manager of Pluto Airlines, and Aidan Wing, general manager of Hornbill Skyways.
Also present on the occasion were Sheikh Fahem bin Mohammed Khalid Al Qasimi, owner of Pluto Airline; Sheikha Sayed bint Saqr Al Qasimi, managing director of the airline; and Abdul Taib bin Moham-med, Chief Minister of Sarawak State.
Sheikha Sayed said the airline would operate scheduled charter flights, one each from Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin to Malaysia.
"The joint venture would also facilitate us in our operation within Malaysia. We hope to start this operation from January next year," she said, adding that some European flights to Malaysia would also be operated via Sharjah providing two-night stopovers.
She said the airline would also start four weekly chartered flights from Sharjah to Khar-toum following an agreement with the authorities in Sudan.
In addition,it would launch its operations in the GCC countries (except Saudi Arabia). "We have also got landing rights in Egypt, Beirut, Malaysia, Colombo and Iran," she added.
She said the main objective of starting the airline from Sharjah was to provide convenient travel facilities to residents of the emirate, and to promote the emirate as a tourist destination.
The airline currently has three European aircraft and hopes to get an MD-11 in the near future. "We are growing gradually according to market demand," she said.
Abdul Taib bin Mohammed said the agreement would help promote tourism and business in both states."