DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai revealed on Wednesday a significant enhancement of its European route network, aiming to meet increasing international travel demand by boosting frequencies to prominent Italian destinations. Official statements from Emirates News Agency confirmed that flydubai is strengthening its presence in Italy through additional flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thereby expanding direct connectivity between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, the airline will operate twice daily between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport. Additionally, its service to Naples International Airport has been increased to a daily schedule, reinforcing its commercial footprint in major Italian cities.
This expanded timetable broadens flydubai’s operational reach within Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, operating through August. The airline also announced operational adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. For maintenance reasons 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 existing passenger bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Expansion of Flights Bolsters Trade and Tourism Relations
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue under the existing codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This partnership offers travelers integrated itineraries, unified ticketing, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airlines’ networks. Connecting via Dubai, passengers from Italian airports benefit from simplified 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 expansion aligns with broader trends in Middle East and European aviation markets, where international passenger volumes are growing steadily after the pandemic. The increased flight frequencies support bilateral trade, investment, and tourism growth between the UAE and Italy. The twice-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo enhance capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s leading financial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy meet rising seasonal tourism demand along the picturesque Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s CEO, commented on the expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He noted that maintaining reliable regional connectivity remains a priority, along with a commitment to serving underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that recent market data confirms flydubai’s strategic growth in Italy, with added frequencies designed to handle the growing passenger flow between the UAE and Italy, especially as winter travel season approaches.
Increased Flight Frequencies Enhance Capacity to Milan and Naples
Further elaborating on commercial plans, Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, highlighted that augmenting non-stop services to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the importance of the Italian market. Efendi explained that these direct flights enable travelers worldwide to leverage the combined networks of flydubai and Emirates, offering seamless access to major global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s commercial team confirmed that fleet and operational resources are prepared to support the increased daily flights, ensuring reliability for both passenger and cargo services.
These developments in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network growth strategy. As the airline acquires more modern narrow-body aircraft, plans are underway for further frequency increases on high-demand routes across Europe. The expanded Italian schedule emphasizes Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub, facilitating efficient passenger and freight movements between Europe and destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.