DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai announced on Wednesday a significant increase in its European route offerings, aiming to meet growing international travel demand by adding more services to key Italian hubs. As reported by Emirates News Agency, flydubai is expanding its presence in Italy through additional flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct transport links between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Beginning July 31, 2026, the airline will operate a double daily service between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport, while also increasing its flights to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule.
This expansion broadens the airline’s overall operational footprint in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running until the end of August. Alongside the increased flight frequencies, flydubai announced operational adjustments caused by scheduled infrastructure upgrades in Southern Italy. As part of planned maintenance at Dubai International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily flights from Dubai to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Flights to Naples will resume on December 1, 2026, with passengers holding existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during the transition period.
Airline Extends Service Frequencies to Major Italian Cities
The increased flights 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 benefit from integrated travel plans, single-ticket purchases, 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 boost aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation within the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers have steadily increased after the pandemic. The additional frequencies support growing bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism between the UAE and Italy. The new double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo enhance capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s financial and industrial centers, while daily flights to Southern Italy cater to increasing seasonal tourist demand for cultural sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, commented on the expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become key gateways within the airline’s European network. He stressed that maintaining reliable regional connectivity remains a priority, as does the airline’s long-term commitment to serving underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that market data shows flydubai is strengthening its Italy operations through strategic frequency increases to accommodate the rising passenger flows between the UAE and Italy, particularly as travel demand accelerates during the upcoming winter season.
Salerno Route as Temporary Stopgap During Maintenance Period
Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, elaborated that expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the strategic significance of Italy for the airline. Efendi highlighted that non-stop flights enable passengers to access popular global destinations seamlessly, utilizing the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates via Dubai. The airline’s commercial leadership confirmed that their fleet and operations teams are equipped to handle the increased daily flight movements, ensuring reliable service for both passengers and cargo during this period.
The operational enhancements in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development plan. As the airline continues to acquire modern narrow-body aircraft, future plans include further frequency increases on high-demand European routes. The expanded Italian schedule reinforces Dubai’s position as a major aviation hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight transit between Europe and destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.