flydubai announces routes
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The UAE’s new low-cost carrier, flydubai, has announced that Amman and Beirut will be its first destinations when it takes to the skies on 1 June. The National newspaper reported that the carrier, which will have its home base at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 2, will begin operations with two Boeing 737-800 narrow-bodied aircraft, which it will increase to six by the end of the year. The aircraft are part of a US$3.78 billion start-up order made at the Farnborough Air Show last summer.
Like its full-service neighbour Emirates Airline, flydubai is owned by the Dubai Government, and the report quotes analysts EFG-Hermes as saying that the launch is to protect Emirates from the rise of Sharjah-based LCC, Air Arabia, which has been growing from strength-to-strength since its launch in 2003.
The airline will compete against Air Arabia and Kuwaiti LCC, Jazeera Airways.
Both carriers have bucked the global aviation trend, with Jazeera last year reporting a 94% rise, while the more established Air Arabia boosted net profits by 35.6%.
“The launch of flydubai is likely to have limited impact on Air Arabia… as we believe the UAE market is large enough for more than one low-cost carrier,” an EFG-Hermes report was quoted saying, adding that Emirates may be the loser in the long-run, and more Middle Eastern passengers look towards low-cost air travel.
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