DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – The European network of flydubai, which is based in Dubai, has seen significant growth, with increased flight frequencies to key Italian airports announced on Wednesday to meet rising international travel demand. As per the Emirates News Agency, the airline is bolstering its operations in Italy through additional flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct links between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. From July 31, 2026, the airline will operate a twice-daily service connecting Dubai International Airport with Milan-Bergamo Airport, and it will also boost its Naples International Airport flights to a daily schedule.
This schedule expansion broadens flydubai’s overall presence in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer flights twice weekly to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through the end of August. In addition to increasing flight frequencies, the airline has outlined operational adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. During maintenance at Naples International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily Dubai International Airport service to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Regular flights to Naples are expected to resume on December 1, 2026, with passengers holding existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
flydubai Expands Flight Offerings to Major Italian Cities
The increased routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples operate under the established codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This collaboration provides passengers with integrated travel plans, unified ticketing, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airline networks. Leveraging Dubai’s central hub, travelers connecting from Italian airports gain easier access to long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct flights to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity boost aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation within the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers have steadily grown in the aftermath of the pandemic. The increased flight frequencies support expanding bilateral trade, investment, and tourism between Italy and the United Arab Emirates. The double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo increase seat capacity for business travelers headed to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy cater to seasonal demand from tourists visiting historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, commented on the network expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European route map. He underlined that maintaining reliable regional access remains a priority, as well as a long-term goal of connecting underserved markets. Al Ghaith noted that market data demonstrates flydubai’s commitment to strengthening its Italian operations through strategic frequency increases to meet the growing passenger flow between the UAE and Italy, especially as travel volumes surge ahead of the winter season.
Temporary Operations at Salerno During Maintenance Period
Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that boosting direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the importance of the Italian market for the airline. Efendi explained that offering nonstop flights allows passengers to leverage the combined network of flydubai and Emirates, facilitating seamless access to popular global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s commercial teams are prepared to handle the increased daily flight operations, ensuring operational efficiency for both passenger and cargo services.
The enhancements in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development strategy. As the airline continues to add modern narrow-body aircraft, plans are underway to increase frequencies on other high-demand European routes. The expanded schedule in Italy reinforces Dubai’s role as a major aviation hub, enabling efficient passenger and freight movements between Europe and expanding destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.