DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai announced a significant expansion of its European flight offerings on Wednesday, increasing flight frequencies to major Italian cities to cater to rising international travel demand. Statements from Emirates News Agency confirmed that flydubai is boosting its presence in Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Under the new schedule, the airline will operate twice daily between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport starting July 31, 2026. At the same time, the airline has raised its service to Naples International Airport to a daily service, enhancing its commercial footprint across key Italian urban centers.
This expanded timetable broadens flydubai’s overall operations within Italy, which also includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer flights twice a week to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through the end of August. Additionally, operational adjustments are planned due to scheduled maintenance work in Southern Italy. Because of maintenance at Dubai International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily service to Naples from November 1 to November 30, 2026, via Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport. Regular flights to Naples are expected to resume on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Expanding Connectivity Bolsters Trade and Tourism Between Countries
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the established codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This partnership allows travelers to access integrated itineraries, purchase unified tickets, enjoy synchronized schedules, and benefit from through-checked baggage across both airline networks. By leveraging the combined route network through Dubai’s hub, passengers arriving in Italian cities can easily connect to long-haul destinations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct flights to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity increase aligns with ongoing trends in commercial aviation across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger volumes have steadily grown following the pandemic. The rise in flight frequencies supports expanding bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism between the UAE and Italy. The additional twice-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo offer more seats for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily services to southern Italy cater to seasonal tourist demand, especially along the scenic Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, commented on the network expansion, stating that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He emphasized that ensuring consistent regional access remains a priority, alongside a long-term commitment to improving connectivity in underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that market data confirms flydubai’s strategy of increasing frequencies in Italy is driven by the need to accommodate rising passenger flows between Italy and the UAE, especially as travel volumes accelerate heading into the winter season.
Increasing Flight Frequencies Bolster Capacity to Milan and Naples
Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, highlighted that expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo reflects the airline’s strategic focus on the Italian market. Efendi explained that nonstop flights allow travelers to use the combined services of flydubai and Emirates to reach popular global destinations seamlessly through Dubai. The airline’s commercial team affirmed that fleet planning and operational teams are ready to support the increased number of daily flights, ensuring reliable service for both passengers and cargo.
These operational upgrades in Italy are part of flydubai’s broader fleet expansion and international network development strategy. As the airline receives more modern narrow-body aircraft, plans are underway to further boost frequencies on high-demand routes in Europe. The extended Italian schedule reinforces Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub, facilitating smooth passenger and freight movements between European cities and expanding markets across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.