Coronavirus in the UAE: Some information on this website is out of date as a result of measures taken in the UAE to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Confirm with official or authoritative sources.

FlyDubai (FZ) budget airline Dubai tel for bookings +971-4-3010800

FlyDubai (or flydubai, Fly Dubai, airline code FZ) is a budget carrier operating out of Dubai with first flight date of 01 June 2009 from Dubai to Beirut. A low-cost carrier for Dubai was first announced and established by the Dubai Government in March 2008, and the name FlyDubai was announced June 2008. Initially, FlyDubai was to operate out of the new Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali (DWC) but in March 2009 FlyDubai announced they would be flying out of a refurbished Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport although the FlyDubai website still said "We will be based at Al Maktoum International" at the time of the announcement (11 March 2009 press release). FlyDubai might, or will, move to JXB at some future date. T2 is the terminal on the Sharjah side (or north side) of Dubai Airport and sees much less activity than T1 which most people know, and T3 which opened late in 2008 and is dedicated to Emirates Airlines. FlyDubai is being launched with the support of Emirates Airlines apparently (but we don't really know what that means). The big birds launched by Fly Dubai generally flap off to destinations within about 5 hours from Dubai, much the same as Air Arabia started off doing when they launched their budget flights from Sharjah Airport in October 2003.

• As of 28 Oct 2014 when FlyDubai starts flights to Mumbai, India, the carrier will have 38 aircraft, fly to 76 cities in 37 countries, and operate over 1,100 flights per week.
• FlyDubai move to Jebel Ali Airport - might happen in 2013, or it might not (May 2012 reports or speculation).

FlyDubai Business Class

New Fly Dubai Business Class section announced 19 Jun 2013.

• Business Class cabin has 12 seats with a seat pitch of 42 inches. Each seat has a 12.1 inch touchscreen TV with 900 hours of movies, music, and games.
• Other perks and facilities include dedicated business class cabin crew member, additional checked baggage allowance (actual allowance figure not supplied), priority check-in, inflight snacks and meals, business class lounge in Dubai (open late 2013) and possibly some other airports, priority baggage collection on arrival.
• Business class tickets available for purchase from August 2012. Prices seem to be 3-4 times more expensive than the same flight in economy class.
• Business class flights start in October 2012, not to all destinations - more will be added over time. List of business class destinations not supplied.
• No chauffer-drive offered, at least nothing mentioned in press release or on FlyDubai website 19 Jun 2013. You still have to get to the airport yourself.

Flydubai business class destinations

• Jan 2014: Ashgabat, Belgrade, Krasnodar, Madina, Odessa, Samara, Tabuk, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Volgograd.
• Oct 2013: Bucharest, Istanbul, Jeddah (?), Juba (?), Kiev, Kabul (?), Male, Mineralyne Vody.
• 08 Oct 2013 (PR): Kiev (first business class destination flight).
• 18 Aug 2013 (PR): Bishkek, Donetsk, Juba named but dates not supplied. Bucharest, Istanbul, Kiev, Male, Mineralyne Vody starting in Oct 2013.
• 19 Jun 2013: Fly Dubai business class announced but no destination names supplied.

FlyDubai visa services

Visas to UAE

• Residents of Jordan or Lebanon can apply for a UAE visa with FlyDubai through the Dubai Visa Processing Center (DVPC). Website says "residents" not "nationals". Females under 25 travelling alone won't get a visa (at least not with FlyDubai). Allow at least a week or two for document collection and processing - which is done by DVPC, not FlyDubai.
• Nationals of other countries who are not eligible for a free visa on arrival in Dubai might be able to apply through one of the travel agents in their country listed on the FlyDubai website.
• GCC citizens don't need a visa to travel to the UAE. GCC residents can probably get a free visa on arrival (but check, there might be some restrictions).

Visas to other countries (FlyDubai destination visas)

• Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine - FlyDubai announced (on 03 Apr 2013) a destination visa service for FlyDubai passengers travelling to those countries. Passengers need to submit application form, passport, 2x passport photos, and a flydubai travel insurance document (not clear if other travel insurance is acceptable). A confirmed Flydubai booking can be presented either when applying or when collecting visa and passport (press release 03 Apr 2013).
• Apply at the FLyDubai Travel Shop in Terminal 2, Dubai Airport - Marutzzi Travel & Tourism, open 1000-1700 Saturday to Thursday (closed Fridays).
• Normal and urgent applications possible. Fees not supplied. Email destination.visa@flydubai.com or tel +971-4-2165881 for more information about costs.
• Website reference www.flydubai.com/en/destination-visas/ (visa application form pdf files available to download).

Fly Dubai ticket purchase and payment options - where to buy FlyDubai tickets

• Online at the Fly Dubai website with credit card or at Al Fardan Exchanges.
• Phone bookings and reservations call centre tel +971-4-3010800. Pay with credit card or later at Al Fardan Exchanges.
• Al Fardan Exchange branches for payment of online or telephone bookings - agreement announced in press release 19 March 2011. Customers have 24 hours from time of booking to make payment at an Al Fardan Exchange.
• Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) for ADCB customers - they can book flights on the FlyDubai website then pay throught their ADCB online account (ADCB@ctive Personal Internet Banking) after receiving a Payment Reference number (press release 27 February 2011).
• DNRD kiosks eventually in shopping malls in Dubai. First 6 machines annouced 02 May 2011 in locations including Dubai Airport Terminal 2, Ministry of Labour in Dubai, and the Al Twar Center. Payment can be made using cash or credit card.

FlyDubai destinations and routes

FlyDubai timetable moved to new page.

FlyDubai announced on 06 April 2009 that their first destinations would be Amman in Jordan and Beirut in Lebanon. Other initial destinations are likely to be Asia - probably India, and busy routes to Middle East cities. Future destinations will probably include North Africa, East Africa, and nearby European cities. FlyDubai hope to have up to 16 routes and destinations by the end of 2009 according to the CEO - "by the end of the year there will be 12 to 16 destinations, depending on the approvals" (Emirates Business report 27 April 2009).

• India (announced 24 June 2009) flights to Chandigarh (start 23 July 2009, fares from AED 350 one way), Coimbatore (start 14 July 2009, fares from AED 425 one way), Lucknow (first flight 13 July 2009, fares from AED 425 one way).
• Amritsar, Chandigarh, Goa, Jaipur, Pune in India were reported in February 2009 to be possible destinations. FlyDubai won't be the first to do Goa trips though - Air Arabia starts Goa flights on 16 April 2009.
• Fly Dubai plans to have 70 destinations by 2014
• Possible other new destinations might include Delhi, Kochi, Khartoum, Mumbai, Salalah, Sanaa (speculative based on 12 May Gulf News report that Jazeera Airways, which has a hub in Dubai, is cancelling flights from Dubai to those destinations due to changes in fifth freedom restrictions being introduced by the UAE ... unknown if the changes are designed to help FlyDubai take off).

FlyDubai India routes delays and cancellations

• 11 May 2010 update: Dubai to Lucknow flights to start on 02 June 2010.
• 15 July 2009 - Flights to Chandigarh would start in August 2009 according to a report in the Indian Business Standard 15 July 2009.
• 10 July 2009 - FlyDubai launch dates for their Indian routes have been suspended indefinitely "due to operational issues" according to a statement from FlyDubai. There was a previous report of the Indian Air Force denying permission to Fly Dubai for Chandigarh, which was denied by FlyDubai. Fly Dubai tel +971-4-3010800 where you might be able to get a personalised denial of information and a refund.
• 01 & 05 July 2009 - FlyDubai Dubai to Chandigarh flights expected to start 23 July 2009, depend on permission from the Indian Air Force (IAF) which controls Chandigarh airport, and does not allow civilian flights to operate after 10pm. The FlyDubai flight is scheduled to land at 11pm and the IAF has reportedly denied permission, but FlyDubai said they expect to be operating to Chandigarh as planned (Times of India reports 01 & 05 July 2009).

FlyDubai and disabled, handicapped, special needs passengers

Fly Dubai allows passengers with physical handicaps to fly with them, in accordance with international guidelines ... except when they don't ...

• 06 October 2010 - UAE media reports said that FlyDubai denied boarding to a American man because he was blind - Zuhair Mahmoud from Arlington, Virginia - on a flight from Dubai to Amman in Jordan.
  • Reportedly, Mr Mahmoud was told by check-in staff that it was airline policy not to allow unaccompanied blind travellers to board, and his requests to contact senior staff to reconsider were refused.
  • FlyDubai issued a statement to AP with the CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith saying "This morning's events were extremely unfortunate and should not have happened. We will conduct a full investigation to find out what went wrong in this situation and take all means necessary to ensure it does not happen again,"
  • Mr Mahmoud was apparently rescheduled on to another flight and issued a complimentary flight voucher to make up for the inconvenience, but might not use it. He was quoted as saying "I'm probably not going to come back to Dubai ever unless I'm assured these sorts of things aren't going to happen anymore"

FlyDubai new destinations and routes in 2014

1. Almaty, Kazakhstan - start date Sep 2014.
2. Bhubaneswar, India - start date unknown, see information below.
3. Delhi, India - start date June 2014.
4. Kochi, India - start date June 2014.
5. Mumbai, India - 5x weekly flights to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), start date 28 Oct 2014 (announced 23 Jul 2014). Economy fares from AED 925 return, business class from AED 2500 return.
6. Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina - start date Dec 2014 (announced 16 Jul 2014).
7. Shymkent, Kazakhstan - start date Sep 2014. Airport code CIT (city also or previously known as Chimkent, Cimkent).
8. Trivandrum, India - start date June 2014.
9. Zagreb, Croatia - start date Dec 2014 (announced 16 Jul 2014).

[Check] Ashgabat, Baku, Belgrade, Chisinau, Dushanbe, Skopje, Tbilisi, Yerevan.

FlyDubai route updates in 2014

• Delhi, India - frequency increase to 5x weekly from 28 Oct 2014.

FlyDubai new destinations and routes in 2013

Incomplete, see section below for new routes (alphabetical) previous information. As of 11 Nov 2013, 16 new destinations in 2013 (PR).

1. Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine - start date Sep 2013?
2. Dushanbe, Tajikistan, start date Apr or May 2013?
3. Ha'il (Hail), Saudi Arabia
4. Juba, South Sudan - start date 21 Mar 2013? Flights 4x weekly on Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat. Return fare prices from about AED 2,400 (US$650).
5. Kiev, Ukraine - start date Sep 2013?
6. Krasnodar, Russia - start date Sep 2013?
7. Male, Maldives
8. Mattala Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka - start date May 2013?
9. Medina, Saudi Arabia
10. Multan, Pakistan
11. Odessa, Ukraine
12. Osh, Kyrgyzstan - start date May 2013?
13. Rostov on Don, Russia - start date Sep 2013?
14. Salalah, Oman - start date May 2013?
15. Sialkot, Pakistan
16. Volgograd, Russia - start date Sep 2013?

FlyDubai new routes information

• Abha (IATA code AHB), Saudi Arabia
• Addis Ababa (IATA code ABB), Ethiopia - announced 01 April 2011, 3x weekly, first flight date 22 April 2011, one way fares from AED 900 DXB-ADD, USD 254 ADD-DXB.
• Ahmedabad, India (IATA code AMD) - start date 27 August 2011, weekly flights on Saturdays. Flight FZ437 DXB to AMD depart 2210, arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport 0250 next day. Flight FZ438 depart AMD 0335, arrive DXB 0505. Announced 08 August 2011.
• Aleppo, Syria - first flight 13 July 2009 (announced 18 June 2009), one way from AED 300 / SYP 5800
• Alexandria, Egypt - first flight 09 June 2009 (announced 10 May 2009), one way from AED 350 / EGP 825
• Amman, Jordan - first flight 02 June 2009, costs from AED 250 one way DXB to AMM and JOD 80 (AED 415) from AMM to DXB.
• Ashgebat (ASB), Turkmenistan - start date 30 November 2010.
• Assuit (ATZ), Egypt FlyDubai flights 3x weekly start on Monday 24 May 2010 (press release 19 April 2010).
• Baghdad, Iraq
• Baku, Azerbaijan - an unconfirmed report appeared on abc.az 23 September 2009 that FlyDubai would start flights to Baku. Confirmed by an 03 November 2009 press release from Fly Dubai. First flight 20 November 2009. One way air fares from AED 300 DXB-GYD and $165 from GYD-DXB.
• Basra, Iraq
• Beirut, Lebanon - first flight 01 June 2009, costs from AED 250 one way DXB to BEY and $100 (AED 370) from BEY to DXB.
• Belgrade, Serbia - 4x weekly flights on Sun, Wed, Fri, Sat. Start date in Nov 2011? FZ741 departs DXB 0910, arrives Belgrade International Airport (airport code BEG) 1155. Flight FZ742 departs BEG 1240, arrives DXB 2055.
• Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India - Biju Patnaik International Airport (BBI). Daily flights planned, status unknown as of Jul 2014. All information from secondary sources, nothing from FlyDubai directly.
  • 22 Jul 2014: Launch delay appears to be due to FlyDubai not yet receiving permission to fly to Bhubaneswar. The Odisha Sun Times quoted a letter from Odisha chief secretary JK Mohapatra to Civil Aviation secretary Ashok Lavasa saying "I would request to you to reconsider inclusion of Bhubaneswar as a point of call in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement and grant permission to Fly Dubai to start operations from Bhubaneswar." Date of letter not given.
  • 01 Apr 2014: Another proposed start date for FlyDubai flights, delayed from 01 Jan 2014 (media reports 10 Jan 2014).
  • 01 Jan 2014: Proposed start date of FlyDubai flights to BBI.
  • 04 Nov 2013: start date of FlyDubai flights to Bhubaneswar might be delayed according to a report in the Business Standard, which quoted an anonymous FlyDubai official as saying "The government have to clear the proposal for enhancing the number of seats to India, then only we can start operations from Bhubaneswar". Apparently FlyDubai had submitted a proposed flight schedule in 2011.
• Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan) - first flight 07 February 2012, twice weekly, Dubai to Bishkek Manas International Airport (FRU) on Tue and Fri, return flight FRU-DXB on Wed and Sat (press release 10 January 2012). One way fares from AED 990 or 1055 (both figures seen) DXB-FRU and AED 1020 (US$280) FRU-DXB.
• Bucharest, Romania
• Chittagong, Bangladesh - first flight from 17 January 2011, 4x weekly. Daily flights from 37 March 2011. Announced in press release 30 December 2010.
• Colombo, Sri Lanka - from 23 June 2010, 4x weekly, fares from AED 450 one way DXB to CMB (announced 26 May 2010). FlyDubai press release 24 June 2012 said " ... notched up its fourth new destination in a week last night when its inaugural flight to Sri Lanka touched down in Colombo." Increased to 5x weekly from August or September 2010? Daily flights from 11 March 2012.
• Damman, Saudi Arabia - King Fahd International Airport (code DMM) from 17 July 2011, daily flights (press release 17 July 2011).
• Damscus, Syria - first flight 08 June 2009 (announced 10 May 2009), one way from AED 300 / SYP 4300
• Dhaka, Bangladesh (Shahjalal International Airport) - first flight 14 February 2011, 4x weekly.
• Djibouti City, Djibouti - first flight 01 September 2009 (announced 09 Aug 2009), cheapest one way AED 650 DXB-JIB and US$225 (AED 830) JIB-DXB
• Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine - flights start 15 Sep 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Doha, Qatar - first flight 18 October 2009 (announced 05 October 2009), twice daily flights, one way tickets from AED 200 ex-Dubai and QAR 165 ex-Doha. Update 12 Mar 2013 - FlyDubai will use the new Hamad International Airport (HIA?) from 01 Apr 2013 (delayed, possibly to end of 2013, HIA did not open as scheduled due to failing Civil Defense checks reportedly), FlyDubai has 9 flights per day to Doha.
• Donetsk, Ukraine - flights start 17 September 2011, announced 26 May 2011. Flight schedule and fares not supplied.
• Dushanbe, Tajikistan - 2x weekly (Tue and Fri), flights start 30 Apr 2013, announced 31 Mar 2013.
• Ekaterinburg, Russia - see Yekaterinburg
• Erbil, Kurdistan-Iraq - announced 01 July 2010, 2x weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Press release said start date Friday 16 July 2010 but FlyDubai timetable had first flight from 02 July 2010. A later press release on 17 July 2010 clarified the confusion by announcing the start date of the first flight as 16 July 2010.
• Gassim (airport code ELQ), Saudi Arabia - start date 18 January 2011, 3x weekly, the 30th destination for Fly Dubai (press release 15 December 2010).
• Ha'il (Hail, Nejd, Saudi Arabia) - 2x weekly flights on Wed and Fri starting 13 Feb 2013 (announced 07 Jan 2013).
• Hambantota, Sri Lanka - Hambantota International Airport (Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport) (HIA) (new airport in Sri Lanka with construction scheduled for completion by October 2012?), located in the town of Mattala near Hambantota.
  • Flights starting maybe in 2012 or 2013 (hopefully after the airport is completed, not before). Daily News (a Sri Lankan newspaper) reported on 12 January 2012 that "Aviation Minister Priyankankara Jayaratne said ... Fly Dubai, a budget airline operating from Abu Dhabi will also be operating flights to the country’s second international airport in Mattala" but we would have thought the Sri Lankan Aviation Minister knew that Fly Dubai operates from Dubai, not Abu Dhabi.
  • On 25 March 2012, FlyDubai CEO Gaith Al Ghaith was reported to have said "we have made a commitment to fly there" referring to the new airport. Some sources give a start date of 15 November 2012 but they appear to be unreliable (did someone say Wikipedia?), and confirmation of start date not found in any reliable sources or statements from FlyDubai.
  • The Asian Mirror reported on 22 March 2012 that Fly Dubai has proposed "to extend its flying services to Mattala Airport in 2013" but the Asian Mirror also said FlyDubai "commenced its flights to Sri Lanka on July 2012" (they didn't, they started in June 2010 so it's probably not a very reliable source).
  • 18 Mar 2013 press release said 3x weekly scheduled flights would start 21 May 2013. A one-off flight landed at HIA on 18 Mar 2013 as part of the opening ceremony for the new airport. Flight FZ551 departs DXB at 2250 on Tue, Thu, Sun, stops at CMB next day (arrive 0500, depart 0555), and arrives HIA at 0635. Return flight FZ552 departs HIA at 0730 on Mon, Wed, Fri, and arrives DXB at 1050 (no stopover at CMB).
• Hyderabad, India - start date of flights 11 June 2011, announced 16 May 2011, one way fares from AED 585.
• Irbid, Jordan - highlighted in a press release 14 July 2010 as a new destination for FlyDubai - "The carrier expanded services to Karachi, Colombo and Irbid, bringing its route network to 22 cities." But not found on FlyDubai website, and press release then goes on to say "One-way flights to Iraq's third largest city and capital of the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, operate twice a week on Fridays and Mondays." Which seems to indicate they meant to say Erbil, not Irbid.
• Istanbul, Turkey - first flights from 17 June 2010
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - start date 01 May 2011, announced 17 April 2011, 4x weekly on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Saturday. Flight times depart DXB 0520, arrive King Abdulaziz International Airport (airport code JED) in Jeddah at 0715, return flight departs JED 0815, arrival DXB 1205.
• Juba, South Sudan - 4x weekly, first flight 23 April 2013?
• Kabul, Afghanistan - first flights from 17 May 2010 (announced 18 April 2010), five flights per week. One way tickets from AED 725 DXB-KBL, and USD 170 KBL-DXB
• Karachi (Pakistan) - first flight 21 June 2010 (announced 05 May 2010), one-way fares from AED 300, daily flights.
• Kathmandu, Nepal - first flight 15 December 2009 (announced 24 November 2009), four flights per week (Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun), one way tickets from AED 350 ex-Dubai, NPR 13,000 ex-Katmandu.
• Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) - start date 14 September 2011, weekly flights on Wednesdays. FZ933 DXB to Kazan International Airport (airport code KZN) depart 1000, arrive 1510. FZ934 KZN to DXB departs 1640, arrives 2145 hrs (press release 04 July 2011). One way fares from AED 1,285.
• Kenya - possible upcoming destination according to an Emirates Business report 13 December 2009, but denied by FlyDubai.
• Khartoum, Sudan - first flight 08 November 2009 (announced 20 October 2009), daily flights, one way tickets from AED 325 ex-Dubai and US$75 ex-Khartoum (FlyDubai website information).
• Kharkiv, Ukraine - flights start 16 September 2011, announced 26 May 2011. One way fares from AED 790.
• Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine - flights start 16 September 2011, announced 26 May 2011. One way fares from AED 715. Update 20 Mar 2013 - 2x daily flights from 15 Sep 2013.
• Krasnodar, Russia - flights start 20 Sep 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Kuwait City - start date of flights is Tuesday 30 March 2010 (press release 01 March 2010), fares from AED 200 one way DXB-KWI (Kuwait International Aiport). Kuwait City to Dubai fares from KWD 13 one way. Flights twice per day.
• Latakia, Syria - flights start 20 June 2010
• Lucknow, India - flights start 02 June 2010 according to FlyDubai schedule (as of 12 May 2010). Flight numbers, frequency, and times different from original schedule announced in 2009. One way fares from AED 500 DXB-LKO, and INR 6,300 LKO-DXB. Announcement or press release 11 or 12 May 2010 about start of FlyDubai to Lucknow flights.
• Luxor, Egypt - first flights from 19 May 2010 (announced 18 April 2010), three flights per week. One way tickets from AED 350 DXB-LXR and EGP 825 LXR-DXB.
• Male, Maldives - 5x weekly flights start date 19 Jan 2013 (announced 13 Nov 2012). Flights on Mon, Tue, Thu depart Dubai at 1855, arrive next day in Male at 0040, return flight departs Male at 0140, arrives DXB at 0540. Flights on Sat, Sun Dubai at 0030, arrive Male 0615, return flight leaves Male 0715, arrives Dubai 1115.
• Manama, Bahrain - first flight 13 December 2009 (announced 18 November 2009), twice daily flights, one way tickets from AED 250 ex-Dubai, BHD 23 ex-Bahrain.
• Mattala, Sri Lanka - see Hambantota.
• Mineralnye Vody, Russia - flights start 16 Apr 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Multan, Pakistan - 3x weekly flights start 14 Mar 2013 (announced 11 Feb 2013).
• Muscat (Oman) - flights start Sunday 28 March 2010 (press release 01 March 2010), prices from AED 250 one way DXB-MCT (Muscat International Airport). Muscat to Dubai flights cost from OMR 23 one way. Flights 2x every day.
• Najaf, Iraq - 3x weekly flights to Najaf starting 29 Jan 2012 on Thu, Sat, Sun. Flight FZ221 departs DXB 0700, arrives Najaf International Airport at 0840. Return flight FZ222 departs Najaf 0940, arrives DXB 1250. Dubai to Najaf one way fare from AED 920, Najaf to Dubai one way fare from US$225 (press release 29 Jan 2012).
• Odessa (Odesa), Ukraine - flights start 15 Sep 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Osh, Kyrgyzstan - 2x weekly flights (Wed and Sun), start date 24 Apr 2013, announced 31 Mar 2013.
• Port Sudan (IATA code PZU) - flights start date 28 February 2011, 1x weekly on Mondays, fares from AED 325 DXB-PZU, AED 340 PZU-DXB (first announced 24 January 2011?).
• Qassim, Saudi Arabia - see Gassim
• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - start date 01 May 2011, announced 17 April 2011, daily flights from Dubai to King Khaled International Airport (airport code RUH) at varying times depending on the day. Sun, Tue, Thu, Sat DXB-RUH 0755-0845 and RUH-DXB 0930-1220. Mon, Fri DXB-RUH 1945-2035 and RUH-DXB 2120-0015 (next day). On Wed, DXB-RUH 1555-1645 and RUH-DXB 1730-2020.
• Rostov-on-Don - flights start 13 Sep 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Salalah, Oman - 3x weekly flights start 21 May 2013 on Tue, Thu, Sat. Flight departs Dubai 1620, arrives Salalah 1820, return flight departs Salalah 1920, arrives Dubai 2130. (announced 04 Mar 2013).
• Samara, Russia - flights start date 20 October 2010, 2x weekly on Wed and Sat Dubai to Kurumoch International Airport (airport code KUF). Flight FZ903 departs DXB at 0900, arrives Samara KUF at 1350 or 1450¹, flight FZ904 departs KUF 1450 or 1550¹, arrives DXB 1935 (all times local). Flight costs and prices from AED 1150 one way DXB-KUF, and USD$400 one way KUF-DXB. Announced 16 September 2010 (press release).
• Sana'a (Sanaa), Yemen - first flight 22 April 2012, 4x weekly. On Sun and Mon FZ091 departs DXB 0700, arrives El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International Airport) (SAH) at 0840, FZ092 departs SAH at 0925 and arrives DXB at 1310. On Wed and Fri, FZ091 departs DXB at 1545, arrives SAH at 1725, FZ092 departs SAH at 1810, arrives DXB 2155. One way fares from AED 570. First announced 06 March 2012 (press release).
• Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina - 2x weekly flights starting Apr 2013, announced Dec 2012? Cancelled Jan 2013?
• Sialkot, Pakistan - 3x weekly flights start 13 Mar 2013, announced 11 Feb 2013.
• Skopje, Macedonia - 2x weekly flights on Sun and Wed, start date 18 Oct 2012. Flight FZ791 departs DXB 0915, arrives Skopje Alexander the Great Airport (airport code SKP) 1240. Flight FZ792 departs SKP 1325, arrives DXB 2035.
• Sohag, Egypt (Mubarak International Airport, IATA code HMB, unknown yet if airport name will be changed after resignation of Egyptian president in February 2011) - 2x weekly flights on Sunday and Wednesday starting 06 April 2011. Ticket fares from AED 420 DXB-HMB, AED 540 (EGP 870) from HMB-DXB (press release 10 March 2011).
• Sulaimaniyah, Iraq - flights start 24 November 2010.
• Tabuk, Saudi Arabia - first flight 07 November 2012, 2x weekly, return flights from AED 1,000. On Wednesdays, flight FZ881 departs Dubai at 0940, arrives Tabuk Airport (airport code TUU) 1200, flight FZ 882 departs Tabruk 1300, arrives Dubai 1645. On Fridays, flight FZ881 departs Dubai 2135, arrives Tabuk Airport at 2355, flight FZ882 departs Saturday at 0055, arrives Dubai 0440.
• Taif (near Mecca), Saudi Arabia - first flight 01 February 2012, 3x weekly (press release 04 January 2012). One way flights cost from AED 570 DXB-TIF, and SAR 620 TIF-DXB.
• Tbilisi, Georgia - 2x weekly flights starting 04 Nov 2011 (announced 12 Sep 2011)
• Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia) - flights start 17 September 2011, weekly flights on Saturdays. FZ939 DXB to Ufa International Airport (airport code UFA) departure 1025, arrival 1730. Flight FZ940 departs UFA at 1830, arrives DXB 2130 hrs (press release 04 July 2011). One way fares from AED 1,285.
• Volgograd, Russia - flights start 13 Sep 2013 (announced 20 Mar 2013).
• Yanbu (airport code YNB), Saudi Arabia - flights start 07 January 2011.
• Yekaterinburg (Ekaterinburg) (formerly Sverdlovsk), Russia - start date of flights 16 October 2010, 2x weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Flight FZ901 departs Dubai 0900, arrives Koltsovo International Airport in Ekaterinburg / Yekaterinburg (SVX) at 1615. Return flight FZ902 depart SVX 1715, arrive DXB 2030. Ticket prices from AED 1150 ex-Dubai one way, and USD $400 ex-Yekaterinburg one way.
• Yerevan (airport code EVN), Armenia - start date of flights 15 December 2010, 3x weekly.
• Zagreb, Croatia - under consideration? Plans cancelled?

1. Unclear which is correct time. FlyDubai timetable says 1350 arrival KUF and 1450 departure from KUF, but press release says "Flight FZ903 will ... arrive in Samara at 1450hrs local time. The return flight FZ904 leaves Kurumoch International Airport at 1550hrs ..."

Flydubai flights to Iraq

• Baghdad, Basra/Basrah, Erbil (Kurdistan), Najaf, and Suleimaniya (Kurdistan) are possible destinations under consideration according to an 08 May 2010 report in The Kurdish Globe of comments made by the FlyDubai CEO, Ghaith al-Ghaith, to the Associated Press (AP) - "Iraq is definitely on our radar. We've been there a few times,"

FlyDubai bookings and what is included

• FlyDubai bookings through website, call center (tel +971-4-3010800), or travel agents / partners (additional charges apply at travel agents and maybe call center - press release 23 March 2009 wasn't clear).
• Fly Dubai tickets can also be bought at Emirates Post Offices (26 May 2009 press release)
• No tickets issued, only boarding passes, which saves money on paper for plane tickets (there's a pun there), and on electrons for e-tickets.
• Additional fees for checked baggage, choosing a seat, and food & drink. Included in ticket price is cabin baggage (up to 10 kg), taxes, air, and use of boarding ladder.
• Luggage prices are "... Dh40 for the first 32kg suitcase and Dh100 for the second 32kg suitcase," according to the FlyDubai CEO (Emirates Business 27 April 2009).
• Actual prices and destinations released 06 April 2009
• For normal fares, ticket changes cost AED 100 plus fare difference (or get a FlyDubai voucher if new flight is cheaper). No booking changes or cancellations allowed within 24 hours of departure time.
• For an extra AED 200 (might be variable), tickets can be changed free of charge up to 24 hours before departure, or cancelled for an additional payment of AED 100 - for which you get a voucher, not a refund.
• All taxes are included in ticket prices
• This information was correct as of 06 April 2009 as far as we know but should not be relied on.

Fly Dubai in-flight entertainment

• Inflight movies available on a fee-paying basis (costs AED 25 per movie in 2012).
• Inflight entertainment systems provided by Lumexis Corporation in California, USA from October 2010 on 44 new Flydubai B737-800 NG aircraft.
• New FlyDubai aircraft from October 2010 will use the Lumexis 'Fiber To The Screen' (FTTS) In-Flight Entertainment touch-screen and opotic fibre based systems.
• FlyDubai is the first Lumexis customer to use the new system.
• Deal announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg on 18 May 2010 (press release info).

Fly Dubai jobs

• A press release 18 May 2011 said that FlyDubai will hire 600 pilots by 2016 for its expanding fleet. As of May 2011 FlyDubai has 200 pilots. Requirements for pilot applicants are:
  • First Officer (FO): minimum of 2,500 hours including 1,000 hrs in multi-crew, multi-engine aircraft, with modern electronic flight instrumentation systems (EFIS) and over 10 tonnes operating weight.
  • Captains: at least 5,000 hours including 1,500 in command of modern (EFIS) multi-crew, multi-engine jet aircraft of more than 55 tonnes operating weight.
• For in-house upgrade from FO to Captain, pilots must have been employed by FlyDubai at least 1 year, have logged at least 4,000 flying hours including 1,000 in a Boeing 737, of which at least 500 hours while employed at FlyDubai.
• In November 2010, FlyDubai announced a 3 year partnership with CTC Aviation Group PLC to assist with pilot recruitment and training (18 November 2010 press release).
• Pilot salaries in 2009 approximately AED 35,000-45,000 per month for captains, AED 25,000-30,000 per month for first officers (unconfirmed).
• According to an 18 March 2009 press release, FlyDubai had appointed 60+ captains, 18 first officers, and 80 cabin crew. Over 11,500 applications were received.
• As of March 2009, according to the FlyDubai website, applications are closed for pilots and cabin crew but there are a few other jobs available. Apply online (before 12 March 2009).

Other FlyDubai information

• Chairman of FlyDubai is Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who is also Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines, and President of Dubai Civil Aviation.
• Chief Executive (CEO) of FlyDubai is Ghaith Al Ghaith.
• Chief Operating Officer (COO) of FlyDubai is Kenneth Gile (appointed August 2008)
• Correct way to write FlyDubai is probably flydubai, following the pretentious fad of using poor grammar as a marketing tool (like du, easyjet, holidayautos) since that's what appears in their press releases.
• Start up capital for FlyDubai is AED 250 million (or AED 220 million?), (one plane costs about AED 270 million) so they're short about AED 14.4 billion just for the planes. They plan to start with just 2 aircraft initially though.
• FlyDubai capital was increased in June 2010 to AED 500 million (reports said previously it was AED 220 million, not AED 250 million). A WAM report 07 June 2010 said Law No.13/ Year 2010 amended a preceding law (No.11/Year 2008) which had set up flydubai with a capital of AED 220.
• According to a report in Emirates Business 24-7 in February 2009, FlyDubai had not yet received its UAE Air Operations Certificate (AOC) (or Air Operator's Certificate) but it was "in progress". The AOC was eventually awarded by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on 25 May 2009 - about a week before its first flight. According to the same report, FlyDubai had not yet received any of its planes, and there was a delay in the first delivery, originally expected in April 2009.

FlyDubai first 12 months of operation

Some FlyDubai numbers and statistics from a press release 02 June 2010 for the first year of operation (01 June 2009 to 01 June 2010):

• Total of 1 million passenger flight bookings with 750,000 passengers flying. What happened to the other 250,000 passengers?
• Flydubai operated almost 8,000 flights with 85% on-time departures, up to 92% on-time out of 1,000 flights for May 2010.
• Or put it another way, as many as 15% of FlyDubai flights were late or cancelled (about 1 in 7).
• 83% of passengers bought an item of food or drink, 30% of passengers paid to choose a seat, 56% paid for checked baggage (44% travelled with only hand luggage).
• As of 01 June 2010, Fly Dubai employs over 500 staff from almost 70 countries, with 100+ pilots and 200+ cabin crew.
• FlyDubai has flights to 16 destinations, with another 5 scheduled to start in June 2010. Plans are to have 25 cities on their route map by end 2010.
• Number of aircraft is 8 Boeing 737-800 NG planes, with total expected to be 13 aircraft by end of 2010. Aircraft utilisation expected to be 14½ hours (presumably per day).

FlyDubai aircraft fleet and orders

• 18 Nov 2013 - FlyDubai announced an aircraft order at the start of the 2013 Dubai Airshow consisting of 111 Boeing 737s and 738s worth a total of US$11.4 billion at list prices according to press reports.
• 18 Oct 2012 (WAM) - first of three Boeing 737-800NG aircraft delivered, with the three aircraft financed by a loan of $117.5 million from the Export-Import Bank in the USA (Ex-Im Bank). Total fleet size 26 aircraft as of 18 Oct 2012, increasing to 28 aircraft with the delivery of the second and third aircraft under this agreement in November and December 2012 respectively.
• 19th aircraft for the FlyDubai fleet received in August 2011 (press release 27 August 2011).
• The 16th Boeing 737-800NG for FlyDubai (registration A6-FDP) arrived 22 March 2011. It is the 7th with the new Boeing Sky Interior and Fibre-To-The-Screen in-flight entertainment system by Lumexis (press release 23 March 2011).
• As of 28 October 2010, FlyDubai has 10 Boeing B737-800NG planes in its fleet, the 10th delivered to them in Seattle, USA. The new plane is the first for FlyDubai, and in the world, to be fitted with the Boeing Sky Interior - mood lighting and improved storage box design.
• FlyDubai will operate Boeing 737-800/900 aircraft, each jet might have 189 economy class seats, and a more comfortable chair for the driver.
• The Fly Dubai order for 54 aircraft, worth about AED 14.7 billion ($4 billion), was placed at the Farnborough International AirShow in July 2008. FlyDubai will own 50, and lease the other 4 from Babcock and Brown Aircraft Management. The planes will be delivered from 2009 to 2015.
• Fly Dubai will receive 2 planes by the end of May 2009 (the first arrived approx 18 May 2009), another 4 before the end of 2009, and more in 2010 (Reuters report 06 April 2009). Update: 2 planes in May 2009, 6 by the end of 2009, and 8 planes in 2010. Update 01 July 2009 (press release): 2 planes in July, 1 in October, 1 in December with $320m of financing provided by General Electric Capital Aviation Services on a sale and lease back scheme.
• The aircraft will be powered by CFM56-7B engines, 2 on each plane, total order value of about AED 2.57 billion ($700 million) for the July 2008 order, which works out to about AED 26 million per motor. A quick search of Google Shopping for cheaper options returns "Your search - CFM56-7B - did not match any products" but there was a second-hand CFM56-5C version available on eBay for $70,000 (not suitable for flight use though). We're still waiting to hear back from Arthur Daley on pricing for a job lot.

FlyDubai incidents and plane crashes

• 10 Jan 2011 - a man on flight FZ144 from Amman to Dubai wanted to enter the cockpit and speak to the captain before the flight took off from Amman International Airport. When he was refused entry, he reportedly claimed to have a bomb, but later claimed he was just joking about that. He was arrested and removed from the plane, the plane was searched (no bomb found), and took off for Dubai without further incident, apart from being an hour or so late. Some reports claimed the man was a co-pilot for a UAE based airline but didn't say which airline, although FlyDubai said he had never worked for them. A statement from a FlyDubai spokesperson on 11 Jan 2011 said "The passenger was taken away for questioning and the rest of the passengers were offloaded while a thorough search of the plane was conducted. No explosives were found. The flight continued to DXB and landed safely. We would like to praise the authorities for their swift action, which ensured the flight suffered a minimum delay in take off of 1 hour and 5 minutes." Other news reports carried a statement from an unnamed official who said "The passenger who made the bomb threat is a co-pilot who works in the United Arab Emirates. He said he was just making a joke. He was arrested, and an investigation is now under way."

Last update Wednesday 23-Jul-2014

---

www.dubaifaqs.com/flydubai.php (PDF and print version).

Abu Dhabi AUH ABD ADB, Ajman AJM, Al Ain AAN, Dubai DXB, Fujairah FUJ, Ras Al Khaimah RAK, Sharjah SHJ, Umm Al Quwain UAQ

DubaiFAQs UAE information guide. Copyright © 2004-2024 www.dubaifaqs.com, Dubai, UAE - United Arab Emirates | blog | Facebook | Twitter |