flydubai’s destinations enter double figures with the launch of flights to Bahrain

The inaugural flight comes at a time of intense activity for Dubai's first low cost airline; it is less than a week since flydubai took delivery of its sixth aircraft and less than a month after the Dubai Airshow, where financing, logistics and maintenance deals worth nearly US$200 million were announced.

Among the passengers on the inaugural flight was Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai who spoke at a press conference on arrival: "Bahrain is extremely important to intra-GCC trade. The Kingdom has a history of being a logistics hub and is still investing heavily in that. The King Fahd Causeway, a 25km link to Saudi Arabia, is used by around 12m passengers every year, as well as providing a route for hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo to cross between the two Kingdoms. The future causeway to Qatar will further enhance Bahrain’s importance."

In 2008, Bahrain was named the world’s fastest growing financial centre by the City of London’s Global Financial Centres Index.

Bahrain is also becoming known as a growing Gulf attraction, as regional and international tourists become more aware of the Kingdom’s heritage and culture, its traditional souqs, ancient mosques and historic forts. The Bahrain Formula One grand prix, horse racing and golf is also making it a sporting leisure destination. The island is also a highly influential business centre in a strategic central Gulf location.

Ahmet Nemat Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Aviation Services, Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs, said: "We welcome this new service between Dubai and Bahrain as it is another great way for us to showcase our wonderful Kingdom. As a centre for tourism as well as business, we are seeing strong growth in the number of visitors to Bahrain and we hope to see many more visitors from the Emirates. We are old friends with a long history.

“We are pleased to welcome flydubai to Bahrain, as they provide a service which complements that provided by the existing carriers operating on the Dubai-Bahrain route.”

flydubai’s twice daily flights to Bahrain (FZ015 and FZ021) leave Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 0715hrs and 2005hrs, and arrive at 0730hrs and 2020hrs local time respectively. The return flights FZ016 and FZ022 leave Bahrain at 0815hrs and 2105hrs arriving in Dubai at 1025hrs and 2315hrs local time respectively. Flight prices start from just AED250 one way.

All flydubai prices include all taxes and one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg. Flights are available for purchase from the website (flydubai.com), call centre (04 301 0800) and travel agents.

The other nine operational routes in flydubai's growing network are: Beirut-Lebanon, Amman-Jordan, Damascus and Aleppo-Syria, Alexandria-Egypt, Djibouti-Africa, Doha-Qatar, Khartoum–Sudan, Baku-Azerbaijan and flights to flydubai’s newest destination, Kathmandu-Nepal, will start from December 15th.

The flydubai model is simple, with customers paying only for the services they want to receive. Passengers have the option to purchase checked-in baggage in advance at just AED 40 for the first piece and AED 100 for the second, weighing up to 32 kg, subject to availability. Checked baggage at the airport is also strictly subject to availability and passengers are advised to book online early to secure the space, as only pre-purchased baggage can be guaranteed.

A nominal payment of AED 5 allows customers to select their seat and just AED 50 secures the extra legroom positions. Bookings can be changed for a small fee, plus any difference in the fare, and food and drink can be purchased on board.

flydubai operates from a modernised and enhanced Terminal 2 on the north side of Dubai International Airport.