UAE based airline flydubai is set to expand its routes in Asia by adding Thailand and Myanmar to its services at the end of this year.

The low-cost carrier announced that they will launch a daily service to Krabi via a stop in Yangon. This will make flydubai the first UAE national airline to offer flights to Krabi International Airport.

Quick progress

ATW Online reports that these flights will fly from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport from December 10th and will be codeshared with Emirates. The two airlines have been heavily associated since the inception of flydubai in 2008, with both carriers being owned by the Emirati government.

Last month, Emirates were also reported to be adding Iceland to its list of destinations following the closure of WOW air. Despite speculation, the two companies still have not merged with flydubai remaining outside of the Emirates Group amid an increase in growth in the long haul market.

Emirates Mexico City Barcelona
Emirates will fly a from Dubai to Mexico City using a Boeing 777-200. Photo: Emirates

flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith was proud of the progress that his brand has made over the past decade. The carrier already served over 100 destinations before adding two more countries to their record. He told ATW Online,

“Over the past 10 years we have remained committed to opening up underserved markets. Enabling millions of passengers to travel with more ease from as far as Helsinki in the west to Krabi in the east.”

Young fleet

It remains unclear which aircraft would operate the new service. flydubai recently voiced their concerns with Boeing and their customer communication following the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. flydubai is the second-largest Boeing 737 MAX customer and has one of the world’s youngest fleets of 4.2 years.

There had been suggestions that flydubai is considering changing allegiances to the Airbus A320 family. flydubai boasts a fleet of 59 aircraft according to Airfleets.net, but 13 of these are grounded Boeing 737 MAXs.

A flydubai Boeing 737
The Boeing 737-800s are likely to serve the route following the grounding of the 737 MAX. Image - Wikimedia Commons

Market opportunity

Flydubai will be looking to rival on this route with competitors Qatar Airways, along with Scandinavian airline, Finnair, who also fly to Krabi. Both of these South East Asian destinations are popular with tourists around the world. Krabi’s natural appeal attracts over four million visitors to its airport a year.

The limestone cliffs and mangrove forests have offered plenty to explore for adventurers. The white sands and famous Phi Phi islands are also a huge attraction for sunseekers to indulge in.

The airport was allocated 6.6 billion baht in 2018 to build a third terminal. The Department of Airports announced a project to double the airport's capacity to eight million passengers per year.

Along with its nature, Yangon’s rich history is also a pull factor for holidaymakers. Colonial architecture, Buddhist monuments and indigenous complexes combine together to form a melting pot of cultures.

A finalized upgrade to Yangon International Airport in 2016 now enables its three terminals to serve six million passengers annually. This expansion makes it the perfect time for the Dubai based outfit to start serving these popular travel destinations.

Simple Flying reached out to flydubai for comment on the announcement but had not heard back prior to publication. We will update with any further announcements.