flydubai Airways

21 Apr 2013

flydubai launches flights from Dubai to Juba, South Sudan: "We are pleased to start operations to Juba as it enables us to further broaden our network in Africa and opens up more routes to previously underserved markets." Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive of flydubai.

13 Feb 2013

The low-cost airline adds a twice weekly flight service from Dubai to Ha'il (Saudi Arabia).

19 Jan 2013

The airline announces the start of services to the Maldives as their first destination launched in 2013. The initial service will entail 5 weekly flights on the route between Dubai and Male on board a Boeing 737-800.

November 2012

SPECIAL!! flydubai offers a "pay once, fly twice" special to its valued customers.

Book a flight to one of the 21 selected destinations between 31 October and 11 November and fly to the same destination again only paying the taxes.

NOTE: The initial flight has to fall between 18 November and 12 December for the deal to be available.

07 Nov 2012

The airline announces the introduction of a flight route between Dubai and Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

18 Oct 2012

A route between Dubai and Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia is launched with a flight operating twice a week.

02 Oct 2012

The airline's latest addition to their flight routes, Dubai to Bucharest (Romania), was inaugurated today.

26 Aug 2012

flydubai launches "Pay once, fly twice" campaign, where customers booking a flight to 16 of its destinations, get to fly to the same destination again. First flight bookings can only be done between 26 August to 8 August 2012.

22 Apr 2012

flydubai introduces flights between Dubai and Saana, Yemen.

28 Mar 2012

flydubai has announced that it would be conducting flies between Dubai and Mattala (Sri Lanka).

7 Feb 2012

flydubai commences flights between Dubai and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

01 Feb 2012

flydubai launches 3 weekly flights between Dubai and Taif, Saudi Arabia.

29 Jan 2011

flydubai initiates 3 weekly flights between Dubai and Najaf, Iraq.

17 Jan 2011

4 weekly flights between Dubai and Baghdad, Iraq launched.

10 Nov 2011

A route from Dubai to Belgrade, Serbia is introduced.

17 Sep 2011

flydubai starts operating twice weekly flights on Wednesday and Saturday from Dubai to Donetsk.

16 Sep 2011

flydubai starts operating three times weekly flights on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from Dubai to Kiev.

16 Sep 2011

flydubai starts operating twice weekly flights on Tuesday and Friday from Dubai to Kharkiv.

14 Sep 2011

flydubai launches a car rental service (provided in conjunction with CarTrawler) which allows passengers to book a vehicle anywhere in the world.

12 Sep 2011

flydubai offers a 20% sale discount on flights to selected destinations if you book before noon on 25 September to travel between 10 October and 14 December 2011.

27 Aug 2011

flydubai operates weekly flights from Dubai to Amedabad, India on Saturdays.

03 Aug 2011

flydubai's 18th aircraft (a B737-800 NG) arrives, it forms part of the fifty aircraft the airline ordered at the Farnborough Airshow in 2008.

17 Jul 2011

flydubai pioneers daily flights from Dubai to Dammam King Fahd International Airport.

23 Jun 2011

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Chandigarh (India).

11 June 2011

flydubai launches flights from Dubai to Hyderabad, India.

11 Jun 2011

flydubai launches a weekly flight from Dubai to Ahmedabad (India).

1 Jun 2011

flydubai celebrates second anniversary with a flight special on specified routes.

22 April 2011

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

03 Apr 2011

flydubai announces that all maintenance and engineering for the airline will be handled in-house by flydubai's own staff.

April 2011

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Sohag, Egypt.

27 Mar 2011

flydubai commences daily flights from Dubai to Chittagong.

19 Mar 2011

flydubai signs an agreement with Al Fardan Exchange to allow customers to pay for their flights at any of Al Fardan's branches in the United Arab Emirates.

Customers can choose the "pay later" option when booking online or through the call centre and then visit an Al Fardan Exchange outlet within 24 hours with their reference number to complete the transaction.

13 feb 2011

flydubai offers special fares to selected destinations for bookings made before noon on 20 February 2011 and travel between 1 April 2011 and 8 June 2011.

17 Jan 2011

flydubai launches four weekly flights from Dubai to Chittagong flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

17 Jan 2011

flydubai commences daily flights from Dubai to Abha (Saudi Arabia).

07 Jan 2011

flydubai to open a connection between Manama, Bahrain International (BAH) and Kuwait City, International (KWI).

22 Dec 2010

flydubai adds 13 Boeing 730-800 aircraft to its fleet in a bid to expand its service.

12 Dec 2010

flydubai announces special offer on flights to many of its operational destinations.

09 Dec 2010

flydubai offers increased flixibility to passengers.

Nov 2010

flydubai becomes the world's first airline to get a Fiber To The Screen (FTTS) In-Flight Entertainment system.

30 Nov 2010

flydubai commences twice weekly flights from Dubai to Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).

23 Nov 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Abha (Saudi Arabia) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays .

21 Nov 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Yerevan (Armenia) and Sulaimaniyah (Iraq).

27 Oct 2010

flydubai celebrates delivery of the first Next-Generation 737 with the new Boeing Sky Interior.

16 Oct 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Yekaterinburg (Russia).

30 Sep 2010

FLY Leasing Limited announces an agreement entered with flydubai to acquire three new Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a sale and leaseback transaction. It also announces the selling of three of its older aircraft (currently on lease to three separate airlines) to two separate purchasers: an A320-200 manufactured in 1995 and two B737-800s manufactured in 2006.

Colm Barrington, CEO of FLY said "The sale of the three aircraft will generate cash and positive net income for FLY and the new aircraft, which will be acquired with our free cash and new bank debt, will reduce the average age of our portfolio. We are particularly pleased to add flydubai, a successful and fast-growing airline, to our diverse family of global lessees."

22 Sep 2010

flydubai announces aircraft financing worth more than $750m in deals with GECAS (General Electric Capital Aviation Services) and BBAM (Babcock & Brown Aircraft Management).

The financing will take care of the next nine aircraft flydubai is due to receive and secures all the airline's financing requirements until June 2011.

19 Sept 2010

flydubai is giving 33% sale discount if you book before noon on 26 September to travel between 1 October 2010 and 26 March 2010.

17 July 2010

flydubai is giving 100% of the fare back as a voucher if you book to flydubai by 1 August 2010 to and from certain destination and travel between 15 August and 06 September. Valid until 08 december 2010

29 Jun 2010

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today the launch of a new booking payment method for flydubai and DIB customers via Al Islami Online Banking.

This new service makes travel bookings even easier for DIB customers, who can now book and pay for flydubai bookings without a card and from the comfort of their homes or offices. The bank is also in the process of enabling flydubai payments through Cash Deposit Machines (CDM) for both DIB and non-DIB customers.

23 Jun 2010

flydubai commences 4 weekly flights from Dubai to Colombo, Sri Lanka (the airline's 21st destination), on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

"We started 2010 with a determination to add new and exciting destinations to our route network. With our recent announcements of destinations as far apart as Istanbul, Lucknow, Colombo and Karachi, we have delivered on our promise to establish ourselves as an affordable, accessible airline with a professional service and a network to be proud of by the anniversary of our first flight. Sri Lanka is a great destination for us to have in our network, and once again we are complementing the existing services on the route. The more options for passengers the better and we believe our simple, low cost service will be very popular with the 300,000 Sri Lankans expats living in the UAE as well as tourists looking for an affordable tropical getaway." said flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith.

21 Jun 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Karachi , Pakistan (the airline's 19th destination).

"There are currently more than 700,000 expatriates from Pakistan working in the UAE and an extra opportunity for them to travel back home has to be good news. We are in the business of bringing more people together more often and we can see the Karachi route being a very busy one indeed. Pakistan is already a very close trading partner with the UAE and there is always the potential for even more commercial ties. One of our goals is to use the flydubai routes as a means for people to forge new friendships, visit new places and new cultures, to experience new destinations and to enjoy new relationships, whether for business or pleasure," said flydubai's Chief Executive Officer, Ghaith Al Ghaith.

03 Jun 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Lucknow (India).

20 Jun 2010

flydubai commences flights from Dubai to Latakia, Syria.

"Adding Latakia to our existing routes of Damascus and Aleppo, demonstrates the importance of Syria as a key destination to flydubai. Thanks to flydubai, Dubai's growing Syrian expatriate population and the 500,000-strong community in Latakia now have even better access to quality, safe and low-cost air travel." said flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith.

01 Jun 2010

Celebrating the first anniversary since flydubai's maiden flight (from Dubai to Beirut, Lebanon) flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said "We would not be where we are today without the vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai - and it is thanks to the guidance and support of our Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum that we are in such a strong position after such a short time. We are also grateful to our many partners and supporters including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, GCAA, DCAA, Dubai Police, DNRD, Emirates, Dnata, Dubai Customs, Dubai International Airport, DTCM, and the many embassies and consulates that have supported us over the last year. We are very proud of what we have achieved this year. We have a taken a theory and turned it into a reality and that reality is a product that people really like. We have big plans for the future and we hope to continue to be as successful as we have been in our first year."

May 2010

The airline announces the begin of a route from Dubai to the following destinations:
- Assiut, Egypt
- Luxor, Egypt
- Kabul, Afghanistan

March 2010

flydubai inaugurates flights from Dubai to Kuwait & Muscat, Oman.

20 Nov 2009

flydubai's commences flights between Dubai and Baku (Azerbaijan).

"Baku is our first route into Asia and a prime opportunity because of its rapid expansion as a business and tourism centre. There is currently only one other airline operating direct flights between Dubai and Baku so we anticipate strong demand for our service." said Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai's CEO.

08 Nov 2009

flydubai's inaugural flight from Dubai to Khartoum (Sudan). The flight from Dubai to Khartoum is the longest in flydubai's network (1600 miles).

"Sudan is a country with a tremendous potential for economic development and financial growth. The country is working hard to ensure there are significant business opportunities which are attractive to businessmen in the UAE and further afield. When you combine that with the existing demand from the many thousands of Sudanese resident in the UAE, it is easy to see why flydubai is excited about the prospects for this route. flydubai is playing the role of a pioneer in the low cost sector and our goal is to make these significant, but under-represented destinations available, accessible and affordable. Our fares mean that people can experience the potential of Khartoum for themselves without laying out their own significant investment on travel", Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai.

18 Oct 2009

flydubai's inaugural flight from Dubai to Doha (Qatar) lands at the Doha International Airport at 7:30am. FZ002 leaves Doha at 8:30am and FZ008 leaves at 9.20pm. FZ001 and FZ007 take off from Dubai at 7.30am and 8.20pm respectively, arriving in Doha at 7.30am and 8.20pm local time.

flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said "This is an excellent time for our customers to take advantage of these prices. Both Qatar and Dubai are extremely important to the Middle East as two of the fastest growing economies. There is plenty of business to be done between us and I know there are many organizations in both cities whose employees travel frequently. These are busy people and may need to make several journeys a month. At flydubai, we can make those journeys more affordable. We believe the introduction of our service will help to increase traffic on the Doha-Dubai-Doha route and this benefits all the carriers operating that route. We are not here to compete with others, but to offer an alternative that will appeal to a different type of traveller."

17 Oct 2009

flydubai takes delivery of a Boeing 737-800NG, part of its Farnborough Airshow order. The Boeing will be put into service on flydubai's Dubai-Doha route, with the first flight being on the 18th October 2009. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said that "Taking delivery of this aircraft on schedule is another boost to flydubai and with this expanded fleet we will be in a position to make a number of exciting route announcements in the near future."

02 Sep 2009

The first flydubai flight from Dubai to Djibouti is completed when flight FZ601 touches down at Djibouti Ambouli International Airport. The service is to operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

31 Aug 2009

Flights between Dubai & Aleppo are reduced from daily to 4 times per week (the initial daily flights were to accommodate the busy summer season).

28 Jul 2009

flydubai announces the following appointments: (1) Hamad Obaidalla, formerly an Emirates airline executive, as Chief Commercial Officer; and (2) Neil Mills, a British South African from easyJet, as Chief Financial Officer.

"Both Hamad and Neil bring a wealth of expertise to flydubai and I am delighted to be able to warmly welcome them... We are embarking on an exciting journey as innovators in the low cost sector and I am glad that we have such senior staff from two of the world's most successful airlines to travel with us.", said Gaith Al Gaith, CEO of flydubai.

23 Jul 2009

Original date for flights to commence between Dubai and Chandigarh (India), which was delayed. The flights will be the first international flights from Chandigarh. The flight from Dubai was planned to land at Chandigarh at around 11 pm and takes off after around 40 minutes. The Indian air force, who control Chandigarh Airport, has not previously allowed night flights for civilian aircraft after 10 pm. So, flydubai's flight would have been only the first international flight from Chandigarh, but also the first civilian late night flight from the airport.

18 Jul 2009

A 1030am flydubai flight from Dubai to Beirut (Lebanon) is cancelled at the last moment (for technical reasons), leaving over 100 passengers stranded (many of whom had travelled to Dubai from other Emirates to catch the flight, especially Al Ain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah). A flydubai statement said that "flydubai would like to apologise to our passengers for the cancellation of our service to Beirut this morning due to technical reasons. We understand that this was very frustrating for our passengers and we regret the inconvenience caused." Passengers were given the choice of cancelling their flydubai flight reservation for a full refund or making another reservation on another flydubai flight, and passengers were also given a free return voucher for anywhere on the flydubai network.

15 Jul 2009

Original date for 3 weekly flights to commence between Dubai and Coimbatore (India), which was later delayed due to "operational reasons".

13 Jul 2009

Original date for 4 weekly flights to commence between Dubai and Lucknow (India) to commence, which was later delayed.

13 Jul 2009

Daily flights are introduced between Dubai and Aleppo (Syria's second largest city), with Flight FZ223 taking off from Dubai International Airport at 0800 and landing safely at Aleppo International Airport at 1030 local time, after a three and a half hour flight. The return flight FZ224, took off from Aleppo at 1115. Syria is the first country to have two flydubai routes (Aleppo and Damascus). Aleppo is flydubai's fifth destination after Alexandria, Amman, Beirut & Damascus.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said "This is a great opportunity for people in both cities to travel to each other's countries more regularly. Our aim is always to bring people together more often and to make their journeys a little less complicated, a little less stressful and a little less expensive. Aleppo is a magical place with a rich history and a fascinating culture, while Dubai is a new and exciting destination. Whatever the reason to get together, this new route will make it easier. It will be especially important for the large numbers of Syrians in Dubai, as it will make a trip home more accessible and more affordable. It also gives the four million plus people living in Aleppo the chance to explore what Dubai and the UAE has to offer."

H.E. Majd Eldine Nashed, General Consul of the Syrian Arab Republic in Dubai and the Northern Emirates said: "I salute flydubai's inaugural flight to Aleppo. This flight signifies the development of the brotherly relationship between the Arab Republic of Syria and the United Arab Emirates."

10 Jul 2009

flydubai announces that it is delaying the launch of its Dubai - India flights, and that customers who had already booked flydubai flights between India and Dubai would get a full refund, and a voucher for a free flight.

1 Jul 2009

In the first financing outside of the UAE for flydubai, the airline announced that it had secured $320m financing from General Electric for 4 Boeing 737 planes to be delivered in 2009 (2 in July, 1 in October and 1 in December). The sale and lease back agreement is with General Electric's Capital Aviation Services unit. Currently, flydubai has only 2 aircraft.

01 Jun 2009

flydubai's maiden flight is from Dubai to Beirut.

05 Aug 2008

Kenneth Gile is appointed Chief Operating Officer of flydubai. Gile had previously been Chief Operating Officer of Skybus Airlines (now defunct) in the United States, before which he had been Chief Pilot at Southwest Airlines.

20 Jul 2008

flydubai signs with CFM International, a 50/50 JV between Snecma and GE, for 50 CFM56-7B engines to power the 50 Boeing 737-800/900s ordered on the 1st day of the At the Farnborough Air Show. The engines, are the Tech Insertion configuration, which provide operators with lower emissions, lower fuel consumption and lower maintenance costs. The engine's 1% improvement in fuel consumption lowers CO2 emissions, ensuring a reduction of 200 tonnes per aircraft per year.

In a separate deal with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), flydubai signs an agreement worth $50million US for blended winglets. The blended winglets, which are for the 737-800s, add an extra 1.4m to the wingspan of the aircraft and offer a range of environmental benefits, including reduced fuel consumption and lower noise emissions. The Director of Sales, Aviation Partners Boeing, Christopher Stafford, said: "Blended Winglets will save flydubai up to 4% of the total fuel burn on their new fleet of Next Generation 737s. This improvement usually equates to an annual fuel saving of between 75,000 - 125,000 gallons per aircraft per year. While the payback period typically varies between 1 - 3 years, depending upon aircraft utilization, stage lengths and fuel costs, the dramatic fuel savings benefits of Blended Winglet Technology are with you for the life of the aircraft".

14 Jul 2008

At the Farnborough Air Show, flydubai announces an order for 54 new generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The deal comprises a separate leasing agreement with Babcock & Brown Aircraft Management for 5 Boeing 737-800s, and a seperate firm order for 50 aircraft from Boeing. flydubai has retained substitution rights to convert the 737-800s into 737-900ERs (extended range) in the future.

25 Jun 2008

It is announced that HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, United Arab Emirates Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the name flydubai from a shortlist presented by the Chairman of the new low-cost airline, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said: "flydubai is a simple, yet powerful call to action. It makes an immediate link to our core business, which is providing no-frills flights to bring people to and from Dubai. The name also carries a strong association with the city of Dubai, itself a brand synonymous with excellence, reliability and an international, pro-business approach. flydubai's operations will potentially cover an area of some two billion inhabitants. It will support Dubai's commercial and tourism sectors by serving a new set of travellers, and providing them with affordable air links to popular, high-demand destinations. A lot of ground work has been done thus far, and I'm pleased to note that flydubai is on track to launch its first flights by mid-2009."