Home NEWS Flydubai touches down in Dubrovnik

Flydubai touches down in Dubrovnik

Flydubai has launched services from its hub in the United Arab Emirates to Dubrovnik, becoming the first airline to link the Persian Gulf with the Croatian coastal city through nonstop flights.

Apr 12, 2018

The route will initially be maintained three times per week, each Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, before increasing to four weekly from June 13. Services will run on a seasonal summer basis until October 25.

Flydubai’s Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations (UAE, Middle East, Europe & CIS), Jeyhun Efendi, said, “Flydubai is the first airline to offer passengers convenient, direct flights from Dubai to Dubrovnik. Our new service reflects Flydubai’s commitment to open up 71 previously underserved markets on our network of more than ninety destinations”.

Mr. Gross added, “Opening this new route is an exciting and significant development for Emirates, Flydubai, Croatia, and the UAE. Not only can travelers in this region take a flight with Flydubai from Dubrovnik and connect seamlessly in Dubai to an exciting range of Emirates’ destinations, but we will also bring in more tourists to Croatia from Dubai and beyond, boosting the economy and extending business relations”.

In addition to carrying tourists from Dubai and other Gulf states to the Croatian coast, the new service will also cater for the growing number of travelers visiting Croatia from the Far East. Flydubai has a wide-ranging codeshare and partnership agreement with Emirates, allowing passengers to book their trip with both airlines via Dubai on a single ticket.

The hybrid carrier faces no direct competition on the route, however, it goes up against Turkish Airlines which vies for a similar passenger base on its Istanbul – Dubrovnik service. Furthermore, Emirates maintains flights to Zagreb and enables travelers to reach Dubrovnik, Split and Pula with a single ticket and baggage through-checked as part of an interline agreement with Croatia Airlines.

The launch of its Dubrovnik service marks Flydubai’s return to Croatia after two years. The airline previously operated flights to Zagreb which were suspended in November 2016. This was followed up several months later by Emirates’ announcement of its planned flights between Dubai and the Croatian capital, although Flydubai maintains the suspension was not coordinated. The hybrid carrier is growing its operations in the former Yugoslavia this summer. It will maintain up to three daily flights to Sarajevo from mid-June, immediately following the Eid holiday, which will run until mid-September. Furthermore, the airline has deployed its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on its daily flights to Belgrade and will add an additional weekly service to Tivat for a total of three.