Saudi Arabia's national carrier nasair announced that it will be the first MENA airline to launch passenger operations from the new Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second airport and the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis, on Oct. 28. The airline also shared remarkable growth figures among attendees of the 20th annual Arabian Travel Market, which is currently under way in Dubai.

Commenting on the announcement, nasair’s CEO Captain Francois Bouteiller, said: "As one of the leading airlines in the MENA, we are extremely excited to be the first airline to launch passenger services from DWC in October this year. We believe that this launch will encourage increased air traffic to the Middle East, especially to Dubai, and further afield to neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia.

The airline plans to operate more than 50 flights per week between Dubai and a number of destinations in Saudi Arabia. "The launch of passenger operations at DWC is one of our biggest highlights to date and we look forward to offering our passengers even more flexible services with the assistance of another airport in Dubai while we maintain our long-standing flights from Dubai International," added Captain Francois.

"A new era in Dubai's already proud aviation story is set to begin. The introduction of passenger services from Dubai World Central is the first step in the long term development of the airport and will provide an attractive alternative to travelers," Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths added.

The airline also announced that it has recorded a 20 percent increase in passenger numbers since the beginning of the year compared to 2012, and its number of flights increased by 11 percent compared to the same period.