Flydubai plans to launch flights to Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro, beginning in June, for the summer season.

The new destinations, which will be available till September, were showcased at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market, which toook place in Dubai.

“At flydubai we remain committed to providing our passengers with a variety of destinations to travel to, especially during the summer season,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai. “The decision to launch our seasonal routes to complement our existing network is a direct response to customer feedback and we hope our passengers enjoy what these hidden gems have to offer,” he added.

Flydubai’s popular leisure destinations reflect the diversity of its network. Last year, its top four destinations for a beach getaway in terms of passenger numbers were Colombo, Salalah, Male’ and Zanzibar. The airline has seen passenger numbers to Colombo grow by 24 per cent in 2016 compared to the previous year, with passenger numbers to Salalah and Male’ increasing by 40 per cent and 29 per cent respectively during the same period.

For those looking for a city break, Amman, Tbilisi and Beirut were amongst the most visited destinations in 2016. The number of passengers travelling to Amman grew by 7 per cent in 2016 compared to the previous year along with Tbilisi which saw passenger numbers double for the same period. Other popular destinations included Istanbul and Bucharest, with passenger growth figures of 21 per cent and 37 per cent respectively in the same period. The highest growth of passengers in 2016 was seen by Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, which saw six times the number of passengers travel in 2016 compared to the previous year due to changes in visa requirements.

“While the majority of our passengers travel point to point, our connecting passengers are able to benefit from our interline agreements, which provide opportunities for onward travel to more than 200 destinations,” said Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice president commercial (UAE, EU, ME, CIS) at flydubai. “This is especially beneficial to the passengers of the 62 previously underserved markets we operate to who are now able to access Dubai’s efficient aviation hub and explore destinations that were previously out of reach.”

Along with a diverse network, flydubai continues to enhance its product offerings for passengers. Forty-eight out of flydubai’s 58 aircraft are now equipped with wi-fi and Live TV services, providing passengers with greater connectivity throughout their journey. Flydubai’s Business Class continues to offer passengers a personlised travel experience with increased comfort and added convenience. Open, flydubai’s new rewards programme, has been well received across the region since its launch in October 2016 and has been designed to make earning and spending reward points simple and straightforward.

“Our latest product offerings continue to reflect the growth and maturity of our airline,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice president commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa) at flydubai. “With passengers being able to benefit from connectivity in the air, comfort in Business Class and more options for travel on our network, we continue to give passengers more reasons to fly with flydubai.” - TradeArabia News Service