15 years of success for flydubai

The company has had to revise its route development plans and implement frequency reviews across the network due to ongoing difficulties with aircraft delivery times in 2024. Despite reduced expansion plans, flydubai expanded its network in 2024 to 131 destinations in 55 countries, of which 97 were underserved markets.

The company has restored two operations to Al Jouf in Saudi Arabia and Sochi in Russia. In addition, it has added 10 new destinations, including Basel in Switzerland, Bhairahawa in Nepal, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, Kerman and Kish Island in Iran, Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia, Mombasa in Kenya and the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Summer seasonal operations, between June and the end of September, continued to attract more passengers to the nine destinations offered by the airline.

 

 

By the end of December, the number of aircraft in flydubai's fleet was 88, with an average fleet age of 5.3 years. Four Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft were delivered in the first half of 2024, coming from the backlog of previous years and subject to extensive delays. flydubai did not receive any of the aircraft that were contractually scheduled for delivery in 2024 due to ongoing difficulties with Boeing's delivery schedule. The company has extended the lease of four new-generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft that were scheduled to be returned to lessors.

flydubai's current order book counts 127 Boeing 737 aircraft to be delivered over the next decade, as well as 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, following its first wide-body aircraft order worth USD 11 billion, starting in 2027.