Dubai confirms its position as a global air transport hub

With an annual growth of 36%, Emirates and flydubai set a new record by carrying over 5 million passengers through their joint network in the last year. This extraordinary achievement underscores the strength of the strategic partnership between the two airlines, which have been working together since 2017 to deliver a seamless travel experience globally.

To date, more than 22 million travellers have benefited from an integrated network connecting 240 destinations in more than 100 countries, helping to strengthen Dubai's position as one of the world's leading air hubs. 

The growth in connectivity fits perfectly into the Dubai D33 strategic vision, which aims to expand the emirate's global trade and tourism map.

An ever-expanding network, an increasingly fluid experience
Starting from 29 cities in 2017, the combined network now serves 240 destinations, with a daily offer of 295 codeshare flights. Customers can also count on a seamless experience on the ground, thanks to unified check-in, optimized baggage transfers and improved connectivity to Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3.

Popular destinations with more than 330 weekly flydubai flights departing from Terminal 3 include Zanzibar, Kathmandu, Krabi, Riyadh and Naples. Emirates passengers can access 132 flydubai destinations, while flydubai flyers have the option to reach over 142 Emirates destinations.

The partnership is not limited to connectivity, but aims for excellence: demand for premium cabins has grown by 31%, a clear sign of the success of the high-quality travel proposal.

Expansion and news for summer 2025
In the coming months, Emirates will further expand its offering with flights to Da Nang, Siem Reap and Shenzhen, while flydubai has already announced 10 new destinations, including Basel, Al Alamein and Antalya, perfect for summer travel.

The Emirates Skywards loyalty programme, shared by the two airlines and with more than 35 million members worldwide, continues to offer exclusive benefits and a single currency to earn and redeem miles on both networks.

Connections from Italy to Dubai
flydubai connects Italy to Dubai with direct flights from Milan Bergamo, Naples, Catania and Pisa, in addition to seasonal summer connections from Olbia, strengthening the link between the Italian market and one of the nerve centers of global air traffic.

flydubai
From its headquarters in Dubai, flydubai has created a network of more than 130 destinations served by a fleet of 88 aircraft. Since the start of operations in June 2009, flydubai has been committed to removing barriers, creating free trade and tourism flows, and improving connectivity between different cultures through its ever-expanding network.

flydubai has marked its path with a number of milestones:

• an expanding network: a network of 130 destinations has been created in 55 countries in Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeastern Europe, GCC and the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.
• serving underserved markets: More than 97 new routes have been opened that previously did not have direct air connections to Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier from Dubai.
• An efficient fleet: operates a single fleet type of 88 Boeing 737 aircraft including: 29 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s, 56 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 3 Boeing 737 MAX 9s.
• Improved connectivity: It has carried over 120 million passengers since it began operations in 2009.