Dubai-based flydubai celebrated the arrival of its inaugural service to Mumbai. The announcement brings the number of cities the airline serves in India to seven and the number of weekly flights to the country to 25.
Four years later demand remains with passenger numbers from January to June this year up 12.3% on the same period in 2013 and this trend is set to continue. Commenting on the launch of the inaugural flight, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “The launch of our Mumbai route is a clear indication of the enduring relationship between India and the UAE. Today’s announcement is a reflection of this and in tandem with the decision to increase seat capacity we can now offer enhanced options for passengers connecting to Dubai and other destinations in our network.”
Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent, Africa) at flydubai further added, “Today’s Mumbai launch will add a new chapter to a rich story of trade, tourism and cultural exchange between the two nations. flydubai remains committed to delivering affordable and reliable travel options but we also take pride in bringing the people, ideas and values of two great countries a little closer.”
flydubai operates direct flights five times a week between Dubai International’s Terminal 2 and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. flydubai has a network of 86 destinations, of which 54 were previously underserved. Within India, in addition to Mumbai, flydubai operates services to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Lucknow and Trivandrum. Business class is available on flights to Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Trivandrum.
flydubai has a fleet of 41 new Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft and operates more than 1,100 flights a week across the Middle East, GCC, Africa, Caucasus, Central Asia, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent.