Flydubai serves 119 destinations from Dubai; Russia top country; Tel Aviv #1 route

In the first half of 2027, flydubai plans 5.04 million one-way seats from Dubai. Given the ongoing challenges in the Middle East, Cirium schedule data shows that capacity has jumped by 27% compared to the same period in 2026. The narrowbody operator’s seats are due to be back at a near-record level, which is despite the current inability to fly to Iran.

flydubai plays an important role at Dubai. It provides 17% of the airport’s seats, which rises to 77% when the increasingly close partner Emirates is included. Feeding big brother Emirates is a key part of flydubai’s existence, flying where the larger airline does not or could not do so.

Planespotters.net shows that flydubai has 99 aircraft: 72 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 23 737-800s and four 737 MAX 9s. These figures exclude the three 737-800s freighters that will join its fleet. Many MAXs are also on order. 30 787-9s are too, with the first delivery set for the end of 2027.

Russia is the top country

Cirium indicates that flydubai will fly from Dubai to 55 countries in the first half of 2027, with flights to Switzerland (Basel) due to return in July next year. It is unclear whether Malaysia (Langkawi and Penang) has been fully removed from the airline’s network.

With 502,000 one-way seats, Russia will remain the most-served nation. 11 airports see the airline: Kazan, Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow VKO, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Samara, Sochi, Ufa, Volgograd and Yekaterinburg. Influenced by the sheer popularity of Dubai among Russians, along with EU sanctions, most of flydubai’s Russia passengers only fly to/from the destination.

flydubai serves more airports in Russia than in any other country. Saudi Arabia is second (11), followed by India (eight), Pakistan (eight each) and Iraq (five). However, flights to seven destinations in Saudi Arabia are zeroed out from November onward: AlUla, Hofuf, Jouf, Neom Bay, Qaisumah, Red Sea and Yanbu. The plan could easily change.

119 airports served in the first half

The latest information indicates that flydubai will fly to 119 airports between January and June 2027, down from 134 in the same six months in 2026.

While 21 destinations are no longer scheduled, whether permanently or temporarily, six routes have been added from Dubai. They include Pokhara, Nepal, becoming the city’s only route to the Middle East.

• 1 July 2026: Bangkok DMK (initially daily, rising to 3-daily)
• 17 July 2026: Batumi (5-weekly)
• 17 July 2026: Trabzon (daily)
• 20 July 2026: Aleppo (daily)
• 16 September 2026: Alexandria (initially daily, later 10-weekly)
• 23 September 2026: Pokhara (daily)

With 273,000 one-way seats, up by 49% year-over-year, Tel Aviv remains the top market. 56-weekly flights are planned for next April, by which time Emirates is still not expected to have returned. It’ll compete directly with Israir (11-weekly) and El Al (6).