DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai revealed a significant boost to its European route offerings on Wednesday, aimed at accommodating the rising international travel demand by increasing flight frequency to key Italian cities. Official sources from Emirates News Agency confirmed that flydubai is enhancing its presence in Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thereby strengthening direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. As part of this expanded schedule, the airline will operate twice-daily flights between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo starting July 31, 2026. Simultaneously, the airline has raised its service to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule, reinforcing its strategic presence in Italy’s major urban centers.
This schedule expansion broadens flydubai’s overall operational footprint in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, operating twice weekly through the end of August. The airline also outlined adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure projects in Southern Italy. During maintenance at Naples International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily flights from Dubai International Airport to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Normal service to Naples will resume on December 1, 2026, with passengers holding existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during the transition period.
Expansion of Flight Routes Bolsters Bilateral Trade and Tourism
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the existing codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This cooperation allows travelers to benefit from integrated travel options, unified ticketing, coordinated flight schedules, and through-checked baggage handling across both airline networks. By leveraging the combined network via Dubai’s central hub, passengers connecting from Italian airports enjoy streamlined access to long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct flights to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity increase aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers are steadily rebounding after the pandemic. The enhanced frequency of flights supports growing bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism activities between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The addition of twice-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo provides greater seating options for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy serve the increasing seasonal demand from international tourists exploring historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, commented on the network expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European route network. Al Ghaith underscored the importance of maintaining consistent regional access for travelers while reaffirming flydubai’s long-term commitment to improve connectivity with underserved markets. He added that market data shows the airline is strengthening its Italian operations through strategic increases in flight frequency, especially as passenger volumes increase heading into the winter travel season.
Enhanced Flight Schedules Significantly Boost Capacity to Milan and Naples
Further elaborating on the operational strategy, Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, highlighted that the focus on increasing direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo reflects the importance of the Italian market to the airline’s overall growth. Efendi explained that non-stop flights provide seamless connectivity for international passengers, enabling them to utilize the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates to access top destinations worldwide through Dubai. The airline’s leadership confirmed that their fleet and operational teams are well-prepared to handle the increased number of flights, ensuring reliable service for both passengers and cargo.
The latest enhancements in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development strategy. As the airline continues to acquire modern narrow-body aircraft, future plans include further frequency increases on high-demand European routes. These new schedules underscore Dubai’s role as a major aviation hub, facilitating smooth passenger and cargo movement between Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa, while offering more options for travelers and shippers alike.