DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai revealed on Wednesday a significant boost to its European route network, focusing on elevating service frequency to major Italian hubs to meet rising international travel demand. As reported by Emirates News Agency, the carrier is bolstering its operations in Italy with more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thereby enhancing direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Beginning July 31, 2026, flydubai will operate a twice-daily service connecting Dubai International Airport with Milan-Bergamo Airport, while also increasing its flights to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule.
This increase in service broadens flydubai’s overall operational footprint in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through the end of August. The airline also announced operational modifications due to scheduled infrastructure upgrades in Southern Italy. Specifically, from November 1 to November 30, 2026, flydubai will reroute its daily Dubai International Airport flights to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport during maintenance work at Naples International Airport. The airline plans to resume regular flights to Naples on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Flydubai Expands Flight Frequencies to Key Italian Cities
The newly increased flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples are part of the existing codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This partnership offers travelers access to coordinated itineraries, single-ticket options, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage services across both airlines. Connecting via Dubai, passengers from Italian airports benefit from 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 expansion aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers continue to grow steadily following the pandemic. These additional frequencies support increased bilateral trade, investment, and tourism flows between the UAE and Italy. The twice-daily service to Milan-Bergamo enhances capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s leading financial and industrial center, while daily flights to Southern Italy meet rising seasonal demand from tourists visiting historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s CEO, 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 access remains a priority while also fulfilling a long-term commitment to better connect underserved markets. According to him, market data shows that the increased flight frequencies reinforce flydubai’s operations in Italy, accommodating the growing passenger traffic between the UAE and Italy, especially as travel volume accelerates approaching the winter season.
Salerno Route Acts as a Temporary Hub During Airport Maintenance
Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that strengthening direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo reflects the Italian market’s strategic significance. He explained that nonstop flights provide international passengers with seamless access to global destinations via the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates through Dubai. The airline’s commercial leadership assured that fleet resources and operational teams are prepared for the increased daily flight movements, ensuring high levels of reliability for both passenger and cargo services.
The enhanced Italy operations are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and global network development plans. As the airline receives new modern narrow-body aircraft, planners aim to further increase frequencies on high-demand European routes. These expanded Italian schedules reinforce Dubai’s role as a major aviation hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight movement between European origins and destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.