Flydubai launches services to India

India Becomes the Fifth Country to Welcome flydubai

flydubai, Dubai's first low cost airline, has chosen three cities in three different regions of India to form the next part of the airline's rapid expansion.
flydubai will begin its Indian operations with flights to the north eastern city of Lucknow on July 13. This will be closely followed by Coimbatore in the south on July 14. The trio of destinations will be completed on July 23 when flights to the north western city of Chandigarh begin.
 Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai said: "We are delighted to be able to announce our three Indian destinations today. India is a very important market and we are looking forward to a long and successful future, serving the needs of customers wishing to travel between India and the UAE.
 "A lot of work has gone into making this announcement possible and I would like to thank the Indian authorities for all their assistance. There is a huge Indian expatriate population living in the UAE and an even larger number of people keen to travel to the region for both business and pleasure. flydubai is committed to making travel between Lucknow, Coimbatore, Chandigarh and the UAE a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less expensive. We are confident this will help to encourage more people to travel to these destinations more often."
 "The advent of more accessible, direct, low cost fares to the UAE will also provide an additional option for Indian residents looking to travel to the UAE for both business and leisure. Currently in the UAE low cost airlines account for between 2-5% of all air travel. In other parts of the world, such as Europe and America, low cost airlines are chosen more than 20% of the time. Clearly there is huge potential for the development of low cost travel in our region, a region very dependent on air travel, and our aim is to stimulate the growth of this market rather than to take business away from existing carriers."
 "We believe there is so much demand for low cost travel between India and the UAE that there will be sufficient customers for all the carriers."
 FZ450 will depart for Dubai from Lucknow on July 14 and will operate four times per week. Prices will start from Rs 4,700, including all taxes and one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg.
 The thrice-weekly Coimbatore service, FZ414, will take off for Dubai on July 15. Prices from Coimbatore also start from Rs 4,700.
 FZ432 will become the first international flight to depart from Chandigarh airport when it takes off on July 23. Prices from Chandigarh start from Rs 3,700.
 Bookings can be made from today on www.flydubai.com, or by calling the flydubai call centre on 1 860 266 3366. Bookings can also be made through our travel partners.
 The flydubai model is simple, with customers paying only for the services they want to receive. The ticket price includes all taxes and one piece of hand baggage, weighing up to 10kg, per passenger.
 Passengers have the option to purchase checked-in baggage in advance at just Rs500 for the first piece, weighing up to 32kgs, subject to availability. Checked baggage is strictly subject to availability and passengers are advised to book online early to secure the space, as only pre-purchased baggage can be guaranteed.
 Just Rs650 secures the extra legroom positions and food and drink can be purchased on board. Bookings can be changed for a small fee, plus any difference in the fare.
 flydubai was started by the Government of Dubai in March 2008 and operates from a modernised and enhanced Terminal 2 on the north side of Dubai International Airport.
 The airline made an historic order of 50 737-800 aircraft from Boeing at the Farnborough Air Show in July last year. The first of these aircraft was unveiled in Dubai, UAE, on May 18 and started flying on June 1. flydubai has been successfully operating commercial flights since that time and currently flies to Beirut in Lebanon, Amman in Jordan, Damascus in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt. On June 18 flydubai announced Aleppo in Syria as its fifth destination.

About flydubai:
Established in March 2008 with start-up capital of AED 250 million, flydubai is Dubai's first low cost airline. Owned by the government of Dubai, the airline will support the city's commercial and tourism sectors by serving all travellers, providing them with affordable air links to a range of destinations.
With flydubai, travellers can take 1 piece of hand baggage (weighing up to 10 kg) no larger than 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm on board without charge. If the bag does not meet the cabin requirements, it will be checked into the aircraft hold at a cost of Rs1,950. For a little extra, passengers can check a bag. Each bag purchased can hold up to 32 kg and not larger than 90 cm x 75 cm x 43 cm. If customers want to take more, an additional bag can be purchased, subject to availability.
 Based on a low cost business model, flydubai offers a value-for-money product at an extremely competitive price. Its website (www.flydubai.com) will be an important interface for customers, together with a call centre (1 860 266 3366) and travel partners.