Flydubai set to make foray into Serbia

20/09/2011 00:00 AST

Flydubai on Monday announced plans to make foray into Serbia and said it will operate four weekly flights for Belgrade from November 10.

Belgrade will be the 46th addition to flydubai's expanding route network, which spans the GCC, Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the fringes of Europe. "We are committed to opening up routes previously underserved by direct UAE air links and are proud to become the first airline to operate direct services into Belgrade from Dubai," Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive of flydubai, said in an e-mail statement to Khaleej Times.

Serbia has a strong presence in the UAE thanks to a 5,000-strong Serbian expatriate population. One of the first established expat communities in UAE, Serbs have played an important role in the growth of the UAE and have made major contributions to the country's engineering, construction, hospitality, health, sports and airline industries.

"We anticipate a strong demand for flights, both from the Serbian community in the UAE as well as travellers looking for a low-cost link into one of the most dynamic cities in the world," Al Ghaith said.

"Flydubai is making history each day with its unprecedented growth and its seemingly limitless ambitions. As the world's fastest growing low-cost airline, flydubai is flying high and there's nothing on the horizon that indicates that they should take the foot off the gas pedal," Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at FBE Aerospace London, ?told Khaleej Times.

Flight details

Flights to and from Belgrade will operate four times-a-week and will commence on November 10, 2011. FZ741 will depart Dubai Terminal 2 at 0910hrs, landing in Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport at 1155hrs local time. The return flight FZ742 departs at 1240hrs arriving in Dubai at 2045hrs.

One way fares from Dubai-Belgrade start at Dh800 (?160). From Belgrade to Dubai the price starts at Dh850 (?170).

"Serbia has taken numerous steps to develop its travel and tourism potential in recent years, including visa liberalisation and open skies policies. The subsequent entry of a number of European low-cost airlines has led to an influx of European travellers to the region and we fully expect the launch of our services to Belgrade to have the same effect here in the UAE," ?Al Ghaith said.

The Dubai-based low-cost airline completed a busy weekend of new flights with inaugurals taking place in Kiev, Kharkiv and Donetsk in Ukraine. Later this week flydubai will celebrate its first flights to Kazan and Ufa in Russia. The airline has also announced flights to Tbilisi in Georgia, scheduled to commence operations on November 4, 2011.

"With nearly 40 destinations under its belt in just two years, it is not inconceivable for flydubai to be flying to 80 or 90 destinations within the next two to the three years," Ahmad concluded.

Khaleej Times