Airline of the United Arab Emirates
Dubai Aviation Corporation
(
Arabic
:
????? ??? ???????
), operating as
Flydubai
(
Arabic
:
???? ???
; stylized as flydubai), is an Emirati government-owned low-cost airline based in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
. The airline mainly operates out of Terminal 2 at
Dubai International Airport
, though some flights fly out from Terminal 3.
[3]
[4]
The airline operates a total of 124 destinations, serving the
Middle East
,
Africa
,
Asia
and
Europe
from
Dubai
.
[2]
[5]
The company slogan is
Get Going
.
History
[
edit
]
![[icon]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png) | This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
September 2023
)
|
Flydubai's first
Boeing 737-800
, registration A6-FDA
In July 2008, the government of Dubai established the airline.
[6]
Although Flydubai is not part of
The Emirates Group
, Emirates supported Flydubai during the initial establishing phase.
[7]
On 14 July 2008, Flydubai signed a firm order with American aircraft manufacturer
Boeing
at the
Farnborough Air Show
for 50
Boeing 737-800s
with a total value of US$3.74 billion, with the option to change the order to the larger and longer range
Boeing 737-900ER
, according to the airline's demand.
[
citation needed
]
The first of these aircraft was delivered on 17 May 2009.
[
citation needed
]
Scheduled flights commenced on 1 June, with services to
Beirut
,
Lebanon
, and
Amman
,
Jordan
. Since then, the route network has been significantly expanded.
On 13 February 2013, Flydubai announced that it was in talks with Boeing and
Airbus
for a 50-aircraft order.
[8]
[9]
On 19 June 2013, the airline announced that it would be adding business class service to its flights.
[10]
The business class cabin would feature 12 seats between aisle and window, three-course meals, 12-inch televisions, a business class lounge, Italian leather seats to its offering in a bid to cater to business travellers in the emirate, access to more than 200 films, and power outlets suitable for plugs from over 170 countries.
[11]
[12]
In March 2019, Flydubai suffered considerable losses due to the
grounding of Boeing 737 MAX
aircraft around the world. The state-owned company claims that its growth strategy was severely impacted by the incident as it had 11 of the said aircraft, as well as more than 220 on order. Company CEO Ghaith Al-Ghaith said that an interim settlement agreement was made with Boeing for certain compensation but details of the agreement remain confidential.
[13]
On November 4, 2020, FlyDubai announced that it would start direct flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai from November 26, with tickets being offered on sale. This would mark the first commercial flight route between
Dubai
and
Tel Aviv
.
[14]
Corporate affairs
[
edit
]
Management and ownership
[
edit
]
The company was formed on 19 March 2008 as a venture by the
Government of Dubai
. Even though the airline did get some help from its sister airline initially, it has been run independently since. Also, there was an initial move of executives, but the major bulk of the hiring comes from outside the
Emirates group
.
[15]
The CEO of the company is Ghaith Al-Ghaith, who spent over 22 years with Emirates.
[15]
The chair of the company is Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who is also the chairman of the Emirates group.
[
citation needed
]
Headquarters
[
edit
]
Flydubai operates entirely out of
Dubai
and currently has its Operations building near Terminal 2 at
Dubai International Airport
in addition to some flights departing from Terminal 3.
[16]
Initially, Flydubai had intentions to operate from the new
Al-Maktoum International Airport
in the Dubai World Centre in
Jebel Ali
.
[16]
Development Centres
[
edit
]
Flydubai sets up its first ‘Indian Development Centre’ (IDC) in Hyderabad. The centre leads Flydubai's IT and technology innovation which will focus on
Passenger service systems
(PSS). IDC will be a hub for software development, research and operations.
[17]
Business trends
[
edit
]
The key trends for Flydubai over recent years are shown below (as at year ending 31 December):
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Turnover (
AED
m)
|
2,778
|
3,700
|
4,400
|
4,900
|
5,000
|
5,500
|
6,200
|
6,000
|
2,800
|
5,300
|
Profits (AED m)
|
151.9
|
222.8
|
250
|
100.7
|
31.6
|
37.3
|
(159.8)
|
198.2
|
(712.6)
|
841
|
Number of passengers (m)
|
5.10
|
6.82
|
7.25
|
9.04
|
10.4
|
10.9
|
11.0
|
9.6
|
3.2
|
5.6
|
Number of aircraft (at year end)
|
28
|
36
|
43
|
50
|
57
|
61
|
64
|
59
|
51
|
59
|
Number of destinations
|
52
|
66
|
86
|
|
100
|
|
|
93
|
65
|
78
|
Notes/sources
|
[18]
|
[19]
|
[20]
|
[21]
|
[22]
|
[23]
|
[24]
|
[25]
|
[26]
|
[27]
|
Reports released on May 2, 2021 revealed that Flydubai witnessed losses of US$194 million in 2020. The airline faced one of the toughest years in the aviation sector as revenues plunged by more than 50% to reach US$773 million in 2020.
[28]
In June 2020, the airline had reduced salaries of its employees and also put some on unpaid leaves for a year.
[29]
Destinations
[
edit
]
As of April 2024
[update]
, Flydubai serves more than 110 destinations.
[30]
[31]
The airline currently has one hub and operates out of Terminal 2 of
Dubai International Airport
(DXB).
[15]
However, to accommodate for the growing airline and the expansion of the national airline at DXB, flydubai began to operate flights out of
Al Maktoum International Airport
(DWC) from 25 October 2015. The airline began with 70 flights per week to Amman, Beirut, Chittagong, Doha, Kathmandu, Kuwait and Muscat from DWC.
[32]
In December 2018, it also commenced flights from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport to select destinations to facilitate transfers with its codeshare partner
Emirates
.
[33]
[34]
Codeshare agreements
[
edit
]
Flydubai
codeshares
with the following airlines:
Fleet
[
edit
]
Flydubai
Boeing 737-800
Flydubai
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Current fleet
[
edit
]
The Boeing customer code for Flydubai is KN, which appears in the designation of its older Boeing aircraft as an infix, such as 737-8KN. As of June 2024
[update]
, Flydubai operates an all-
Boeing 737
fleet composed of the following aircraft:
[38]
[39]
[40]
Order history
[
edit
]
- Boeing 737-800
At the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008, the airline ordered 50 Boeing 737-800s valued at approximately US$3.74 billion with substitution rights to convert its 737-800 orders to 737-900ERs (extended range) in the future.
[45]
In November 2010, Flydubai agreed a
sale and leaseback
deal with
Avolon
on another four 737-800s.
[46]
- Boeing 737 MAX
On 17 November 2013 at the Dubai Airshow, Boeing and Flydubai announced a commitment for about 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 11 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. This commitment was valued at about US$11.4 billion at list prices, making it the largest ever Boeing single-aisle airliner purchase in the Middle-East.
[47]
On 6 January 2014, Flydubai finalised its
Boeing 737 MAX
order. The order was finalised with an order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 11 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, along with the purchase rights for 25 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This order is valued at US$8.8 billion at list prices.
[48]
On 31 July 2017, Flydubai took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8, making it the first airline in the Middle East to operate the type.
[49]
[50]
At the November 2017 Dubai Air Show, Flydubai signed a landmark commitment for 175
Boeing 737 MAX
aircraft and 50 purchase rights. This order for 225 aircraft is valued to be $27 billion at current list prices. More than 50 of the first 175 airplanes will be the new 737 MAX 10, while the rest will be the 737 MAX 9 and additional 737 MAX 8s. This historic commitment represents the largest single-aisle jet purchase by a Middle East airline.
[51]
On 21 December 2017, Flydubai finalized its purchase of 175 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes in the largest single-aisle jet order in Middle East history first announced at the 2017 Dubai Air Show.
[52]
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
On 13 November 2023, at the
Dubai Airshow
, Flydubai signed an $11 billion order of 30
787-9 Dreamliners
, marking the first time in its history the airline will operate widebodies.
[53]
The Dreamliners are set to arrive in 2026, accompanying Flydubai's existing fleet of 80 737s and 136 more that are on order.
[54]
[55]
In-flight features
[
edit
]
Economy class
[
edit
]
Full meal service is provided on some services to European and African destinations. On other flights within the network, passengers can pre-book a hot meal, and on flights over 3 hours and on shorter flights, a full menu of wraps and sandwiches is available. Purchases can be made from the crew or from the personal touch screens in each seat.
[
citation needed
]
Business class
[
edit
]
In June 2012, it was announced that
business class
would be added as a service.
[56]
As of June 2015
[update]
, 85 of Flydubai's destinations have the business class service. Each business class equipped aircraft contains 12 seats with a seat pitch of 42 inches. Along with a wider seat, on board the airline offers services such as: a choice of snacks, meals and drinks; access to films, a power outlet, blankets and pillows and
noise-cancelling headphones
. The Business Class services also extend at selected airports. At selected airports they offer priority check-in and fast track through security checks.
[57]
On 6 July 2014, Flydubai announced the opening of their business lounge at
Dubai International Airport
.
[58]
The lounge is located in Terminal 2 and has a free Wi-Fi service, refreshments and snacks.
[59]
Safety video
[
edit
]
The Flydubai
safety video
features characters from the animated Emirati television series
Freej
.
[60]
The central character in the video is a flight attendant named Maya.
[61]
Ground handling
[
edit
]
Flydubai passengers can transfer their baggage to connecting
Emirates
and Flydubai flights when checking-in.
[62]
Accidents and incidents
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
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a
b
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. Retrieved
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b
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.
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. flydubai.com. 28 November 2018.
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from the original on 9 December 2019
. Retrieved
20 September
2010
.
- ^
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. flydubai.com. 24 November 2019.
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- ^
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Budget Carrier FlyDubai In Talks For 50 Aircraft Order
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FlyDubai Considers 50 New Aircraft
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FlyDubai Announces Of New Business Class Service
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FlyDubai Introduces Business Class Services
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.
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b
c
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b
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- ^
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. Flydubai. 2014-03-03
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.
- ^
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. flydubai. 2015-03-03
. Retrieved
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2015
.
- ^
"flydubai announces fourth full-year of profitability and 25% increase in passenger numbers"
.
flydubai
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on 2016-03-01
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"flydubai announces 14.4% passenger growth to 10.4 million and profit of AED 31.6 million"
.
flydubai
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"flydubai sees strong growth in revenues, record passengers and sustained profit"
.
flydubai
. Retrieved
2018-10-27
.
- ^
"flydubai announces Second-Half profit of AED 157 million (USD 43 million) driven by stronger yields and revenue growth and minimises annual loss"
.
news.flydubai.com
. Retrieved
2021-12-28
.
- ^
"flydubai sees return to profitability"
.
Flydubai
.
- ^
"flydubai announces Annual Results amid one of the toughest years in aviation history"
.
news.flydubai.com
. Retrieved
2021-12-28
.
- ^
Salian, Neesha (2022-03-07).
"UAE's flydubai registers Dhs841m profit in 2021"
.
Gulf Business
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Budget carrier flydubai posts US$194M loss due to COVID-19 pandemic"
. CNA
. Retrieved
2 May
2021
.
- ^
"UAE's flydubai extends salary cuts, puts pilots on unpaid leave: sources"
.
Reuters
. 11 June 2020
. Retrieved
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2021
.
- ^
"Destinations | flydubai | Choose Your Destination"
. flydubai
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. flydubai
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Flydubai to increase flights from Dubai World Central"
. The National. 4 August 2015
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Select-flydubai-flights-to-operate-from-terminal-3-dubai-international"
. flydubai.com. 28 November 2018
. Retrieved
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2010
.
- ^
"flydubai-operations-dxb-terminal-3"
. flydubai.com. 24 November 2019
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Air Canada Signs Flydubai Codeshare Agreement"
. aviationweek.com. 18 May 2023
. Retrieved
21 May
2023
.
- ^
2017Liu, Jim.
"Emirates / flydubai schedules codeshare launch in late-Oct 2017"
.
Routesonline
.
{{
cite news
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"Air Canada / United Begins flydubai Codeshare in 2Q23"
.
- ^
"Boeing: Orders and Deliveries (updated monthly)"
. boeing.com. December 31, 2021.
Archived
from the original on January 12, 2021
. Retrieved
January 13,
2022
.
- ^
"Flydubai extends B737-800 leases, "explores" wet-leases"
.
- ^
"Flydubai Fleet Details and History"
.
www.planespotters.net
. Retrieved
May 11,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Flydubai pax numbers rise in Q1 2024, fleet retrofit in progress"
.
gulfbusiness.com
.
Gulf Business
. 7 May 2024
. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
"flydubai to add maiden B737 MAX 9 in 2H18"
. ch-aviation. 25 April 2018
. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
"flydubai files 737 MAX 9 preliminary operation in 2Q19"
. Routesonline. 10 September 2018
. Retrieved
10 September
2018
.
- ^
"flydubai orders 30 B787-9s"
. Ch-aviation. 13 November 2023.
- ^
"Boeing, Flydubai Announce Next-Generation 737 Order"
.
- ^
"Flydubai and Avolon sign sale/leaseback - Airfinance Journal - November 2010"
. Retrieved
9 May
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.
- ^
"Boeing"
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Retrieved
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.
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"Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX 8 to flydubai"
. Boeing Mediaroom
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.
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"Maiden Max for Flydubai".
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.
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"Boeing, flydubai Finalize Order for 175 737 MAX Airplanes"
. Boeing Mediaroom
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.
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"Emirates and flyDubai place Dubai Airshow jet orders"
.
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.
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. 13 November 2023
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.
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"Flydubai places USD 11 billion order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners"
.
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. Flydubai. 13 November 2023
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.
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"Flydubai inks $11bn deal for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners"
.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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"flydubai's Business Lounge open for business"
. flydubai. 6 July 2014
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.
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.
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"
FlyDubai Premieres Exclusive Safety Video Featuring 3D Emirati TV Series FREEJ
." flydubai. 19 December 2011. Retrieved on 20 November 2012.
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"
Maya by Freej
Archived
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.
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.
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"Flydubai crash surprising as airline has excellent safety record, Dubai-based analyst says"
.
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. Dubai
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- ^
Studenikin, Nikolay.
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[Alternative opinion of the Rosaviatsiya representative]
(PDF)
(in Russian).
Interstate Aviation Committee
. Retrieved
27 March
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
Flydubai
at Wikimedia Commons
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