Tag Archives: flydubai

In keeping with the recent instructions from the governments of UAE, Saudi and Bahrain, seven carriers from the various Middle East countries have suspended their services to Doha with effect from June 6, 2017 until further notice. Among these airlines are Royal Jets, Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia from UAE; Saudia from Saudi and Gulf Air from Bahrain. While Etihad, Emirates and flydubai suspended all flights between Dubai and Doha, Royal Jets suspended their services between Abu Dhabi and Doha and Air Arabia suspended their flights between Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah and Doha. Saudia has suspended its flights between Saudi and Doha and Gulf Air between Bahrain and Doha. So all customers who have booked tickets on any of these airlines for flying to Doha will have to contact the airlines for alternative options, which will include full refunds on unused tickets or free re-booking to the nearest alternate destinations. For detailed information, the relevant airlines can be called or their websites can be looked up.

flydubai has announced its latest destinations for the upcoming summer season at the Arabian Travel Market. Flights to Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro will operate from June to September 2017, creating a network of 93 destinations in 44 countries for the Dubai-based airline. This reflects the growth and maturity of flydubai which since 2015 has added 18 new destinations. “At flydubai we remain committed to providing our passengers with a variety of destinations to travel to, especially during the summer season,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai. “The decision to launch our seasonal routes to complement our existing network is a direct response to customer feedback and we hope our passengers enjoy what these hidden gems have to offer,” he added. flydubai’s popular leisure destinations reflect the diversity of its network. Last year, its top four destinations for a beach getaway in terms of passenger numbers were Colombo, Salalah, Male’ and Zanzibar. The airline has seen passenger numbers to Colombo grow by 24% in 2016 compared to the previous year, with passenger numbers to Salalah and Male’ increasing by 40% and 29% respectively during the same period.

Dubai-based flydubai’s inaugural flight to Sylhet landed on March 15 and was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. The flight marks the start of a four times weekly direct service between Dubai and flydubai’s third destination in Bangladesh, which will increase to six flights a week from May 16, 2017. Upon arrival, a flydubai delegation led by Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President Commercial for GCC, Subcontinent and Africa, was met by H.E. Rashed Khan Menon, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, along with local officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority and local members of Parliament. A traditional ceremony took place as the delegation disembarked the aircraft.The operation to Sylhet Osmani International Airport is in partnership with Bangladesh carrier Regent Airways. Sreedharan said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Bangladeshi authorities for their support. We began operations to Dhaka and Chittagong in 2011 and have seen a strong demand for flights since. We are confident that our passengers from Sylhet will benefit from our direct and convenient flights to Dubai and beyond, via Dubai’s efficient aviation hub connecting over 200 destinations worldwide.” “We thank Regent Airways for their cooperation, and we look forward to the start of this partnership,” he added. Since it began flights to Bangladesh, flydubai has carried more than 1.5 million passengers between the two countries. The new service will see flydubai provide up to 27 flights a week to Bangladesh.

Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro are the latest destinations to join flydubai’s growing network and will operate from June to September 2017. flydubai will be the first carrier to offer direct flights from the UAE to Qabala and Tivat, and the first from Dubai to Batumi. GCC nationals will not need a visa to any of these three new destinations, while UAE residence will receive visa on arrival. Following the launch of its latest popular destination, Bangkok, at the end of 2016, flydubai continues to diversify its network with the addition of more popular summer destinations for passengers from Dubai and across the region. The decision to launch these seasonal routes is in direct response to customer feedback and demand for more leisure destinations on the flydubai network. “We would like to thank the authorities in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Montenegro for making it easier for the residents of the UAE and GCC to visit these countries by facilitating their visa requirements,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, commenting on the announcement. “We continue to look for opportunities to further expand our network and offer our passengers more options to travel especially for the summer holiday season. These popular new routes in will complement our existing comprehensive network and will be a gateway to explore this part of the region,” added Al Ghaith. Supported by new aircraft deliveries in 2017, flydubai continues to widen its network which comprises 93 destinations in 44 countries spanning from Yekaterinburg in the north, Bangkok in the east, Zanzibar in the south and Prague in the west. Batumi, which will be served by three flights a week, will …

Flydubai has announced its Full-Year Results for 2016 reporting a profit of AED 31.6 million ($8.6 million). It has reported total revenue of AED 5 billion ($1.37 billion) an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. The stronger second half, driven by increased passenger numbers, was impacted by downward pressure on yield leading to lower overall revenue growth reflecting a continuation of the same adverse factors reported in the first half. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, flydubai, said: “These results see flydubai report its fifth consecutive full-year of profitability.  In 2012, our third year of operation, we carried 5.1 million passengers. This year, we have carried 10.4 million passengers demonstrating that flydubai continues to help change the way both business and leisure passengers travel around the region.  An established tourism destination and global centre for business together with the UAE’s geographic location has supported the need for increased connectivity.” Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, reviewing the Annual Results for 2016, commented: “Over the last two years we have seen passenger traffic grow cumulatively by 52 per cent in terms of RPKM.  We continue to demonstrate that we gain loyal customers across our network who recognise the benefits of direct air links and enjoy our onboard offering.  The continuation of mainly lower fuel prices and ongoing cost management efforts are reflected in the 16% improvement in terms of ASKM over the last two years. We have however seen a difficult pricing and operating environment.” During 2017, flydubai will be the first airline in the Middle East to receive the new model Boeing 737 MAX 8 and the first of these aircraft will …

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed a record 7.7 million passengers in August, eclipsing its previous record achieved in July, according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. Passenger traffic at DXB passengers reached 7,727,105 compared to 7,282,256 recorded in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 6.1 per cent. The year to date traffic totalled 55,850,353 passengers up 6.9 per cent compared to 52,264,223 recorded during the first eight months of 2015. The seasonal rush of travellers, in particular UAE residents returning for the start of the academic year, boosted the traffic leading to a bumper month. Spurred by additional capacity and new services launched by a number of carriers including Emirates and flydubai, Eastern Europe was the fastest-expanding market in terms of percentage growth (67.9 per cent), followed by Asia (13 per cent), South America (11.7 per cent), and the Indian Subcontinent (11.7 per cent). India remained the top destination country (924,256 passengers), followed by the UK (584,508 passengers) and Saudi Arabia (535,280 passengers). London was the top destination city with 371,320 passengers followed closely by Doha (252,616 passengers) and Kuwait (240,712 passengers). Baku (+284.5 per cent) topped the list of cities in terms of percentage growth, followed by Mashhad (118.6 per cent) and Boston (88.2 per cent) – growth on the routes boosted by increased capacity.The average number of passengers per flight during the month was 237 – one of the highest DXB has ever seen. Aircraft movements totalled 33,827 during the month under review compared to 34,773 movements recorded in August 2015, marginally down by 2.7 per cent. Year to date aircraft movement totalled 276,233 up 2.9 per cent compared to 268,360, recorded during …

flydubai has launched a double daily service to Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, starting on 29 November 2016. flydubai will operate its services between Dubai International’s Terminal 2 (DXB) and Bangkok International Airport (BKK). Business Class return fares to Bangkok will start at AED 3,999 while Economy Class return fares will start at AED 1,499, including taxes. Commenting on the announcement of the new route, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai, said: “Bangkok is an extremely popular destination and the launch of double daily flights reflects the increasing maturity of the flydubai network and operation. This route launch is an important milestone for flydubai, offering business and leisure travellers from both Dubai and Bangkok increased choices and flexibility across our network.” Passengers will also have the option of a Business Class experience, benefitting from a dedicated 24-hour Business Team to assist with bookings and enquiries throughout the journey, as well as priority check-in service, comfortable spacious seats and a range of in-flight entertainment and dining options. Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), flydubai, said: “Since its launch, flydubai has developed a network of more than 85 destinations. With the launch of our double daily Bangkok route, we will be further expanding travel opportunities for passengers looking to use Dubai as a hub for connecting routes from the GCC to Russia and Europe.”

Dubai-based flydubai has announced the addition of two new flights a week between Dubai and Bucharest and will now fly daily to the Romanian capital. “We are delighted to announce our daily flights from to Bucharest,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai. “At flydubai, we are committed to expanding connectivity to destinations that have historically been underserved from Dubai. Since the launch of our Bucharest route in 2012, we have witnessed increasing demand from GCC passengers visiting the city and Romanian expatriates using our hub in Dubai to connect and visit family and friends around the world.” flydubai’s passenger traffic between Dubai and Bucharest continue to grow year-on-year, and it remains a particularly popular route for Business Class passengers. The airline has seen great demand from passengers travelling to Dubai and further afield on the flydubai network, whether for business or leisure. “The launch of daily routes to Bucharest will provide greater convenience and connection options for flydubai passengers travelling to Dubai and beyond. Popular connecting routes from Bucharest include Colombo, Delhi, Kuwait, Male’, Mumbai and Zanzibar,” said Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President Commercial (UAE, EU, ME, CIS) for flydubai. “Our Business Class offering, which provides passengers with spacious seats, a choice of meals, generous checked baggage allowance and fast track immigration and security, is particularly popular on this route. It demonstrates our commitment to continually innovate and offer our passengers a range of different travel options and the latest on-board entertainment.”  

flydubai has announced that it will begin daily operations to Prague from July 1, an increase from four weekly flights. With this additional frequency, flydubai will operate a total of 49 flights a week to 11 points in Central and Eastern Europe.Economy Class return fares from Dubai to Prague start at AED 1,399, including 20kg checked baggage, while Business  Class fares start at AED 5,500, including 40kg checked baggage. flydubai has been operating flights to Prague since 2014. Alongside Belgrade, Bratislava, Bucharest, Skopje, Sarajevo, Sofia and Zagreb, it is part of the airline’s network in Central and Eastern Europe. Renowned for its cathedrals, courtyards and culture, Prague is one of Central Europe’s most popular destinations. Travellers can enjoy the Baroque architecture in the Old Town, take in the stunning views from Charles Bridge, discover the largest ancient castle complex in the world at Prague Castle and watch time go by at the Prague Astronomical Clock. “We are delighted to offer more flights to Prague,” commented Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai. “Prague remains a popular destination for our passengers in the GCC. We also look forward to providing those in Europe with more choice and more opportunities to visit Dubai and beyond on our network. Our strategic base in Dubai allows passengers to benefit from flydubai’s interline agreements with other carriers, providing opportunities for onward travel to more than 200 destinations.” “With the start of daily flights to Prague we are offering greater convenience and the value for money that our passengers expect. With WiFi connectivity and Live TV as our latest product offerings, flydubai is an airline that continues to innovate,” said Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President Commercial …