From Naught to Five Aircraft and Eight Destinations in 23 weeks – flydubai gets off to a flying start

Owned by the government of Dubai, the airline supports the city’s commercial and tourism sectors by serving all travellers, providing them with affordable air links to a range of destinations.

The airline was named ‘flydubai’ in June 2008 and just a month later, the company really made its presence felt on an international stage when it announced a US$4 billion order for 54 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow. The aim was to literally get flydubai off the ground within a year.

As His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, said on the day of the airline’s official launch: “flydubai has been the focus of a great deal of determination, strength and belief. To build and shape such a venture needs commitment and support, and we have always tried to ensure that has never been lacking.

“From the very start, flydubai had its own character and its own personality. It was determined to be different.”

Over the next ten months the flydubai team worked tirelessly to make sure the airline was on target to reach its launch date. More than 11,500 applications were received from flight and cabin crew, including 8,000 for pilots.

In May 2009 the transition from a theory to a reality took a giant leap forward when flydubai took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft.

The event was more than the introduction of a new low cost carrier: Unveiling the aircraft, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said:  'I am delighted to be here today to witness this tremendous moment for flydubai and for the development of aviation in the region.'

With the assistance and support of Emirates Airline and the Government of Dubai, flydubai reached is deadline and first spread its wings on June 1, with flights to Beirut and June 2 to Amman. Intense preparation, total commitment and sheer hard work had given flight to Dubai’s first low cost airline.

The promise to all flydubai passengers that flights from the region would be a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less expensive was becoming a reality.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, described the occasion as an important step towards more accessible and more affordable travel.

"A lot of hard work has gone into ensuring our first flight was ready for take off when we promised it would be.

"From our historic order at the Farnborough Airshow last July, through choosing cabin crew uniforms, hiring staff, selecting seat design and catering, there has been a tremendous amount of work to do.

"Seeing it all come together so successfully today and seeing our passengers enjoying their experience with flydubai, makes this a very proud moment."

Just one week later, Damascus and Alexandria were added to the network, two highly popular tourist and business destinations, as well as home to thousands of expatriate workers in the UAE who could now see friends and families more often using flydubai’s daily services.

flydubai took delivery of its third Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft and on July 13, flights began to Aleppo, making Syria the first country to include two flydubai destinations. On September 1, flydubai then took off to Djibouti, the second destination in Africa for the company.

In mid-October, flydubai took delivery of its fifth aircraft making it one of the worlds’ fastest growing start-up airlines. The new aircraft was immediately put into service on flydubai’s first GCC route, Doha, with twice daily flights beginning from October 18.

On November 8, flydubai began its daily service to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The network continues to expand and the airline is gathering a reputation as a strong new force in the Middle East budget travel sector.

The low cost fares to Dubai also opened up the UAE as an affordable destination for a break or vacation.

flydubai is dedicated to making travel more accessible and affordable, taking every step to lower costs and pass on those savings to customers. The prices are all inclusive, with no extra charges or taxes to add on and the airline promises customers that they only pay for what they chose, with no cost for food or baggage unless it is requested.

The flydubai philosophy aims to make travel a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less expensive and from the start, the airline eliminated traditional paper tickets by issuing direct boarding passes. It later teamed up with UAE Exchange, Emirates NBD and Empost to allow customers to pay for reservations at hundreds of branches across the country.

With eight routes already on the map, flydubai begins flights to Baku in Azerbaijan on November 20, with the promise of more destinations from Dubai’s one and only low cost carrier by the end of the year.

From naught to five aircraft and eight destinations in 23 weeks is a pretty swift take off by anyone’s standards and the next 12 months are sure to see more heights reached on the journey of Dubai’s first low cost carrier.