DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – In response to the ongoing rise in international travel demand, Dubai-based flydubai revealed a significant expansion of its European flight offerings on Wednesday. The airline is increasing service frequencies to key Italian cities to strengthen connectivity. Official statements from Emirates News Agency confirmed that flydubai is boosting its operations in Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thereby enhancing direct links between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, the airline will operate double-daily flights connecting Dubai International Airport with Milan-Bergamo Airport. At the same time, service to Naples International Airport has been elevated to a daily schedule, boosting its presence in major Italian urban centers.
This expanded timetable extends the airline’s overall footprint in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal summer routes to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, operating until the end of August. Alongside these increased frequencies, flydubai has announced operational adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. Specifically, during maintenance work at Naples International Airport, the airline will temporarily reroute its daily Dubai International Airport services to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Regular flights to Naples will restart on December 1, 2026, with existing passenger bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Enhanced Air Routes Foster Strengthened Bilateral Relations in Trade and Tourism
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples remain integrated within the established codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This partnership enables passengers to benefit from comprehensive travel plans, unified ticketing, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airlines. Leveraging the Dubai hub, travelers connecting from Italian airports are offered seamless access to long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct links to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity expansion aligns with wider trends in commercial aviation across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger traffic has seen consistent growth following the pandemic. The increased flight frequencies support the expansion of bilateral trade, investments, and leisure tourism between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The additional double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo provide greater capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s primary financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy cater to seasonal tourist demand for cultural and scenic attractions along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, emphasized the importance of Naples and Milan as key gateways within the airline’s European network. He stated that the focus remains on maintaining reliable regional connectivity while committing to long-term enhancements in underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that recent market data demonstrate flydubai’s strategy of strengthening operations in Italy through increased frequencies to accommodate rising passenger flows between the UAE and Italy, especially as travel volumes accelerate heading into the winter season.
Increased Flight Frequencies Enhance Capacity to Milan and Naples
Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that the focus on expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the strategic significance of the Italian market. He explained that nonstop routes allow passengers to leverage both flydubai and Emirates’ combined reach for seamless access to popular global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s commercial team confirmed that fleet deployment and operational readiness are aligned to support the increased daily flights, ensuring dependable service across both passenger and cargo sectors.
These operational enhancements in Italy are part of flydubai’s broader fleet expansion and international network development plan. As the airline continues to receive modern narrow-body aircraft, plans for further frequency increases on high-demand European routes are underway. The new Italian flight schedules reinforce Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub, facilitating efficient movement of passengers and freight between European origins and destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.