As European travel demand picks up, flydubai is targeting an expansion. The carrier will resume flights to Naples, Italy, on 31st July and kick off services to Salzburg, Austria, from 15th July. The growth will take flydubai's network in Europe to over 20 countries as it seeks out new markets.

Date set

flydubai first unveiled plans to expand its European presence in late January, hoping to target tourism traffic. Flights to Salzburg and a return to Naples were both on the schedule, with launch dates of mid-May. However, travel restrictions and demand meant they were pushed back slightly to July instead.

Today, the Dubai-based low-cost airline has set a date for its two new services. Flights from Dubai to Salzburg will commence from 15th July and operate four times a week. Meanwhile, the carrier will return to Naples after over a year on 31st July with a four times weekly service.

Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8
The flights to Italy will operate under the quarantine-free travel bubble, which requires pre-flight antigen testing. Photo: flydubai

Flights to Salzburg will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Flight FZ 1779 departs Dubai at 16:20 local time and touches down in Salzburg at 20:50, 6 hours and 30 minutes later. The return leg, FZ 1780, leaves Salzburg at 21:50 local time and reaches Dubai at 06:05 AM (the next day) in 6 hours and 15 minutes.

Services to Naples will operate on the same days as Salzburg, namely Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Flight FZ 1681 departs Dubai at 07:25 AM local time and lands in Naples at 12:00 PM, 6 hours and 15 minutes later. The return leg, FZ 1682, will leave Naples an hour later at 13:00 local time and reach Dubai at 20:50, 5 hours and 50 minutes later. For those curious, here's why flying eastward is faster than westward.

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Fares

Emirates will codeshare with flydubai on both these routes and can connect passengers onward. The absence of Emirates means the low-cost carrier is the only one providing direct services to both cities, a major advantage for passenger traffic.

Roundtrip ticket prices for business class to both cities will start from AED 8,455 ($2,301). Economy tickets vary slightly, with a roundtrip to Naples starting from AED 1,935 ($527) and that to Salzburg costing AED 1,995 ($543).

flyDubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 Business Class
The two throne seats in business class are definitely the best pick for individual travelers. Photo: flydubai

As mentioned earlier, both routes will be flown by flydubai's 737 MAX 8s. The aircraft returned to service with the carrier in April and has since been flying to destinations across Asia and Europe. The MAX 8 seats 162 passengers in economy class with a standard 3-3 layout. Business class features 10 seats in a staggered configuration of 2-2 in rows one and three, and 'throne seats' in row two in a 1-1 layout.

flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 Economy Class
flydubai offers a bright economy class cabin with large IFE screens. Photo: flydubai

Growing

After a challenging year, flydubai is looking to get back to its growth track in Europe. This summer alone, the carrier has resumed flights to the Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos. In total, the low-cost carrier now flies to 80 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. As travel demand picks up, flydubai is hoping to connect more passengers to popular cities that have been shut since last year.

What do you think about flydubai's new routes to Austria and Italy? Let us know in the comments!