FlyDubai Slowly Moving Toward Full-Service Model

Founded in 2008, FlyDubai is the sister carrier to Emirates (both owned by the Government of Dubai) and was originally set up to operate using a low-cost model.

FlyDubai uses the same hub-and-spoke model like Emirates, connecting passengers across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe from Dubai. However, the carrier targets less-trafficked routes that are not economically feasible for Emirates to operate.

Credit: Flight Connections

Even though FlyDubai offered unbundled fares in economy class, they still offered a pretty decent premium product, with business class seating along with respective perks for those willing to pay extra.

Now we’re seeing a slow shift towards a full-service model. For starters, they’ve introduced a dedicated check-in area for business class passengers and a lounge at Dubai International Airport (DXB), and plan to introduce lie-flat Safran VUE herringbone business class seats across its fleet of Boeing 737s. Unfortunately, there has been a delay with the launch of these news seats, but it’s still something in the pipeline.  

Since then, they’ve made yet another change, this time including meals and complimentary in-flight entertainment as part of all economy fares, pushing them one step closer to being a full-service carrier.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “Redefining the Economy Class offering across all flights represents a significant evolution in our business model, offering customers a more elevated and convenient travel journey. Our focus remains on investing in enhancing our customer experience and delivering added value across every touchpoint through services, technologies and product development. By listening to customer feedback and responding to changing market dynamics, flydubai continues to strengthen its position as a key player in the UAE’s aviation sector and a vital contributor to Dubai’s vision of becoming a global hub for trade and tourism.”

So far, FlyDubai has 95 aircraft, split between a combination of Boeing 737-800s, MAX8 and MAX 9s. There are 118 more 737s scheduled for delivery over the next few years, along with an additional order of 30 Boeing 787-9s.

With plans to enter the long-haul market by 2027, the Gulf carrier will step a bit into Emirates’ territory, but will still primarily stick to thinner routes that favour a lower-cost pricing. I don’t foresee FlyDubai offering the same level of opulence like Emirates, but it’s more of a strategy of filling the void at cities not economically feasible for the bigger carrier. I’d love to see some FlyDubai 787s in the Caribbean in the future (shameless bias).

It’s very interesting times, and nice to see carriers focusing on offering better experiences rather than trying to can as many sardines into a single can. Just the other day I talked about Delta’s strategy to keep widebodies on its transatlantic flights.

Add as preferred source on Google Follow on WhatsApp