DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – In Dubai on Wednesday, flydubai announced a significant enhancement to its European route network, aimed at accommodating rising international travel demand by increasing flight frequencies to major Italian cities. Official announcements from Emirates News Agency confirmed that the airline is strengthening its presence in Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thus improving direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, the airline will operate double daily services between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport. Additionally, it has raised its service to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule, bolstering its operations across Italy’s key urban hubs.
This expansion broadens flydubai’s overall operational footprint in Italy, which also includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal summer flights to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through the end of August. Alongside increasing flight frequency, the airline has outlined adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. From November 1 to November 30, 2026, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily service from Dubai International Airport to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport while Naples Airport undergoes maintenance. Normal flights to Naples will resume on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during the interim period.
International Trade and Tourism Benefit from Expanded Flight Network
The newly added routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate within the framework of the established codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates. This cooperation enables passengers to benefit from integrated travel plans, single-ticket purchases, coordinated schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airlines. Through the combined network centered at Dubai, travelers from Italian airports have streamlined access to popular long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct routes to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity expansion aligns with broader trends in the Middle East and European aviation markets, where international passenger numbers have steadily increased in the post-pandemic period. The increased flight frequencies support growing bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism activities between the UAE and Italy. The addition of double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo enhances seat capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy meet rising seasonal demand among international visitors exploring historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s CEO, commented on the network expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European routes. He pointed out that the focus remains on maintaining consistent regional access for travelers and fulfilling a long-term pledge to improve connectivity to underserved markets. Al Ghaith further noted that market data shows flydubai is reinforcing its operations in Italy through strategic increases in flight frequencies, especially as passenger volumes rise heading into the winter travel season.
Enhanced Flight Frequencies to Boost Capacity to Milan and Naples
Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, highlighted that the increased direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underline the importance of the Italian market for the airline’s growth plans. Efendi explained that non-stop connections allow passengers to leverage the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates to access global destinations seamlessly via Dubai. The airline’s commercial team confirmed that fleet deployment and operational resources are prepared to manage the higher frequency of daily flights, ensuring reliable service for both passengers and cargo.
These operational improvements in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and strategic network development. As new aircraft are added to its modern narrow-body fleet, the airline is aiming for further frequency enhancements on key European routes. The expanded schedule in Italy cements Dubai’s role as a major international transit hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight flows between Europe and regions across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.