flydubai, the low cost airline from Dubai is to start flights to Thiruvanthapuram, Kochi and Delhi soon, the airline CEO, Gaith Al Gaith said on Monday.
The airline will operate a four-times-a-week Dubai-Delhi service and thrice-a-week Dubai-Thiruvananthpuram and Dubi-Kochi service. “India will always be a priority. We do not have enough flights or routes to India,” Gaith told Indian journalists here.
Owned by the Government of Dubai, flydubai was launched in March 2008 with an aim to provide a low-cost alternative on already popular routes from Dubai, and for opening up destinations that were underserved by direct air links to the UAE, thereby boosting trade and tourism.
The start of these three services double the number of cities in India to which the airline operates. Currently, flydubai operates nine weekly flights to Lucknow, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. But unlike its existing flights, flydubai’s new flights will offer seating in both business and economy classes.
Agreement The announcement comes after India and Dubai signed a bilateral air services agreement recently. The agreement allows more airlines from both countries to operate more flights on a weekly basis. Emirates and flydubai are the two airlines from Dubai which are allowed by the Dubai Government to operate flights to and from India while Jet, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and Air India operate from India to Dubai.
Asked whether flydubai plans to invest in an Indian carrier, Gaith merely said that the airline was always open to cooperating with Indian airlines, tourism authorities and others but added that there were no talks at the moment with any Indian carrier. “The door is open for any commercially feasible venture which we can get,” he added.
Pointing out that following orders from the Dubai Government, the airline was focusing on growth for flydubai as it has ordered more than 100 aircraft recently. Gaith said that he would “personally love to create a partnership that creates values for both nations’ airlines or anything in aviation because that is what could help strengthen the relationship.”
(This Correspondent is in Dubai at the invitation of flydubai)