SpiceJet to open hub in UAE with Boeing 737 Max

SpiceJet announced plans Wednesday to build its first international hub in the UAE, offering support to embattled Boeing by saying it would use now-grounded 737 Max aircraft in the operation, once regulators approve the planes for flight. The hub would be in Ras al-Khaimah, the UAE's northern-most sheikhdom, with SpiceJet chairman and MD Ajay Singh saying the airline would use it to extend its range as far as Western Europe. SpiceJet flights between New Delhi and Ras al-Khaimah should begin in December, Singh said. For Ras al-Khaimah, whose small airport pales in comparison to Dubai International, the world's busiest for international travel, it is an opportunity to try and bring more tourists to its burnt-orange sand dunes. However, previous attempts to reinvigorate the airport have failed to take off. <br/>