By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, today marks 14 years of operations. On 01 June 2009, the carrier welcomed its first passengers on board its inaugural flight FZ 157 from Dubai to Beirut. Since then, flydubai has been changing the way people travel around the region by enabling them to travel to more places, more often.
Commenting on the airline’s 14th anniversary, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, said: “flydubai has been at the forefront of opening previously underserved destinations from Dubai; facilitating flows of trade and tourism, and strengthening the cultural and social ties between people from different countries.
flydubai has proven its ability to adapt and take decisive actions, even during challenging times, thanks to its operational efficiencies and robust business model. This was evident in the way the airline navigated the challenges during the pandemic: preserving the workforce, continuing to grow its network and returning to pre-pandemic levels in record time. All of which was achieved capitalising on its internal resources.
We congratulate flydubai on its fourteenth anniversary and recognise the hard work and dedication of the entire team for making this success possible. We look forward to even more success in the future in line with the vision of the UAE’s Leadership.”
Over the 14 years, the airline has achieved many milestones, including:
- Created a network of 120 destinations spanning from Italy to Thailand in 52 countries.
- Opened more than 75 new routes that did not previously have direct air links to Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier from Dubai.
- Grown its work force to almost 5,000 skilled professionals representing 136 nationalities.
- Grown its fleet to 78 Boeing 737 aircraft.
- Carried more than 90 million passengers.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive officer at flydubai, said: “14 years ago, our first flight took off with the commitment to make travel more accessible, supporting Dubai’s economic and tourism goals while keeping passengers at the core of everything we do. I am proud of the growth we have achieved along the way, we have evolved to adapt to the changing market and customer needs, we have played a vital role Dubai’s aviation success story and we continue to invest in further improving our operational efficiencies to overall customer experience to exceed expectations and challenge conventions of travel in the region.”
“Our recent record financial performance, the continued investment in our colleagues and product innovation, and the ongoing recruitment drive are key indicators of how well-positioned we are to reach new heights. Every new milestone we achieve is only possible with the continued hard work and commitment of everyone at flydubai,” added al Ghaith.
