flydubai expands global network to 122 destinations in 2023

Image courtesy: Christopher Pike/ Getty Image

UAE budget carrier flydubai expanded its global network to 122 destinations in 2023, driven by pent-up demand for air travel as the aviation industry has largely recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The airline added 17 new destinations to its global network last year including Cairo Sphinx, Milan, Neom, and St. Petersburg while the launch of operations to Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand marked its return to Southeast Asia.

flydubai carried 13.8 million passengers across its network, a 31 per cent increase compared to a year earlier and a new record surpassing its 11 million pre-pandemic figure.

“We will take delivery of 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft allowing us to add capacity on existing routes as demand for travel across our network returns to pre-pandemic levels,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO at flydubai said on the carrier’s outlook.

The carrier reported a 56 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in passenger volumes on its GCC network and a 36 per cent increase in Europe.

Furthermore, flydubai took delivery of 13 new aircraft in 2023 to end the year with 84 aircraft as the carrier moves forward with the expansion of its global network, which requires upscaling of its fleet.

flydubai soars to new heights

The budget carrier reported $572m (Dhs2.1bn) in full-year profit, a 75 per cent increase compared to a year earlier, while its revenues jumped 23 per cent to $3bn from $2.5bn in 2022 – driven by strong passenger demand for international travel across markets.

“More than 108 million passengers have chosen flydubai since our first flight took off in 2009, proving the attractiveness of our offering and the city we carry in our name,” said Al Ghaith.

flydubai said its cash and cash equivalents position, including pre-delivery payments for future aircraft deliveries, stood at Dhs4.8bn in 2023 compared to Dhs4.3bn the previous year.

The airline plans to build a $190m maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) facility in the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) in Dubai South by 2026. Construction of the new hangar and workshop will start next year and is expected to be completed by the last quarter of 2026.

Last November, the airline placed an $11bn order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners – its first widebody aircraft order – that is set to be delivered from 2026. It also has an order backlog of more than 130 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered by 2035.

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