The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) signed an air services agreement with the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, to increase flights between the two countries.
The MoU was signed  in Canberra by Omar Bin Ghaleb, GCAA Deputy Director General and Stephen Borthwick, General Manager of Aviation Industry Policy, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Australia).
Representatives from Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Dubai Civil Aviation, Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation, Emirates Airline, and Etihad Airways also attended the meeting.
Under the agreement, the UAE delegation has designated Air Arabia as an UAE national airline in addition to Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways.
According to the MoU, both parties also agreed to increase 14 weekly passenger frequencies to/from getaway points in Australia for the designated airlines of each party.
Both delegations further agreed on additional 21 frequencies to getaway points provided that are operated via regional points, under the "enhanced regional package" and to modernise certain clauses in the air services agreement.