Low-cost carrier flydubai operated a total of 1,290 flights between Dubai World Central Airport (DWC) and Doha International Airport (DIA) during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, carrying more than 130,000 passengers during the one-month period.

flydubai's World Cup shuttle

The airline proudly revealed that it served over 130,000 travelers from 171 countries between November 21st and December 19th, amounting to over 4,500 passengers each day. As one of the World Cup's official 'Match Day Shuttle' partners, flydubai operated up to 30 daily flights at its peak during the tournament's Group Stage, when all 32 qualified nations were participating.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said,

"We are very pleased that the special Match Day Shuttle service operations to Doha were a great success thanks to the support of the authorities in Qatar and all the stakeholders in Dubai. These shuttle flights enabled more football fans to travel and enjoy the excitement of the tournament with ease and convenience."

Dubai's secondary airport, Dubai World Central, sprung into life during the tournament hosted in nearby Qatar, handling over 150,000 World Cup fans in the first 14 days. There were up to 48 daily shuttle flights between Dubai and Doha during the tournament, 42 of which involved DWC.

The majority of Doha flights were based at Doha International Airport, Qatar's former primary airport, now replaced by Hamad International Airport (DOH). DIA reopened to commercial passenger airlines for the first time in eight years in the lead-up to the World Cup, helping to ease the burden on Doha's main airport.

Every 30 minutes at peak

flydubai operated up to 30 daily flights between DWC and DIA at its peak, peaking at a rate of one flight every 30 minutes. The all-Boeing 737 airline temporarily deployed seven planes at DWC for the month-long event.

CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith added,

"Never before has there been up to 30 daily return flights between two countries in the region and this shows the high level of commitment, efficiency and collaborative approach required to successfully deliver this task."

dnata flydubai
Photo: dnata

The airline's top 10 nationalities served, making up over 60% of its total passengers on Match Day Shuttle flights, were:

  • United Kingdom
  • India
  • United Arab Emirates
  • France
  • Argentina
  • United States
  • Morocco
  • Jordan
  • Canada
  • Brazil

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

Two special Boeing 737 MAX liveries

flydubai was the regional partner of eventual World Cup winners Argentina, carrying the victorious side from its training camp in Abu Dhabi to Doha on November 18th. The airline celebrated the nation's success with two special Boeing 737 MAX liveries that it proudly unveiled at the tournament's conclusion.

flydubai Argentina livery
Photo: flydubai

Al Ghaith said,

"Congratulations to our partner, the Argentina national football team, and well done to all the teams who participated in this year’s tournament that will surely go down in history as one of the most memorable editions of the World Cup to date."

The two MAX 8s - A6-FKA and A6-FKB - featuring members of Argentina's team, including Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, and Nicolas Otamendi, operated several Match Day Shuttle flights on the final day (December 19th) before being deployed on flydubai's extensive international network.

Did you travel with flydubai during the FIFA World Cup 2022? How did you find the overall experience? Let us know your stories in the comments.