DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai announced a significant expansion of its European route network on Wednesday, aiming to meet rising international travel demand by boosting service frequencies to key Italian destinations. Confirmed by Emirates News Agency, flydubai is strengthening its presence in Italy with additional flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, expanding direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, the airline will operate double-daily flights between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport. Meanwhile, its service to Naples International Airport has been increased to a daily flight, underscoring its growing commercial footprint across major Italian urban centers.
This expanded timetable broadens flydubai’s overall Italian operational scope, which also includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal summer routes to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running until the end of August. In addition to increasing flight frequencies, the airline has outlined adjustments caused by scheduled infrastructure projects in Southern Italy. During planned maintenance at Naples International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily service from Dubai International Airport to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Regular flights to Naples are expected to restart on December 1, 2026, with passengers who have existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during the transition period.
Expansion of Commercial Flight Options Bolsters Trade and Tourism between Countries
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the established codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This cooperation offers passengers integrated travel plans, single-ticket options, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage handling across both airline networks. By leveraging the combined network through Dubai’s central hub, travelers connecting from Italian airports gain easier access to long-haul destinations in 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 have steadily grown following the pandemic. Data indicates that increased flight frequencies support expanding bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The addition of double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo enhances seat availability for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy help accommodate the rising seasonal demand from international tourists exploring historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, commented on the network growth, noting that Naples and Milan are now vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He emphasized that maintaining consistent regional access for passengers remains a priority, alongside the company’s long-term strategy to improve connectivity to underserved markets. Al Ghaith also stated that recent market data demonstrates flydubai’s commitment to strengthening operations in Italy through strategic frequency increases to cater to the growing number of passengers traveling between the UAE and Italy, especially as the winter travel season approaches.
Increased Flight Frequencies to Milan and Naples Will Boost Capacity
Building on its commercial activities, Jeyhun Efendi, the Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that the enhancement of direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the importance of the Italian market within the airline’s global network. Efendi explained that nonstop routes enable travelers to leverage the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates for seamless access to prominent global destinations via Dubai. The airline’s management has confirmed that its fleet and operations teams are prepared to handle the increased number of daily flights, ensuring high reliability for both passenger and cargo services.
The latest operational improvements in Italy exemplify flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development plans. As the airline continues to receive modern narrow-body aircraft, future frequency enhancements are anticipated on high-demand European routes. The expanded Italian schedule further consolidates Dubai’s role as a major aviation hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight movements between European origins and expanding markets across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.