DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – The UAE-based airline flydubai has increased its flight offerings to Italy as part of its response to rising international travel demand, with official confirmation from Emirates News Agency indicating that the airline is expanding its operations in Italy by adding more flights connecting to major commercial hubs. Beginning July 31, 2026, the carrier will operate two flights daily between Dubai and Milan-Bergamo, while also strengthening its presence in Naples with daily round-trip services, marking a significant enhancement of its Italian route network.
This expanded schedule significantly broadens flydubai’s operational footprint in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia twice a week, continuing until the end of August. Additionally, due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy, the airline has outlined operational adjustments, including temporarily rerouting its daily Dubai International Airport flights to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026, with normal service resuming on December 1, 2026. During this transition, passengers with existing bookings will be automatically transferred to the Salerno route.
Codeshare Agreement Facilitates Seamless Connections at Dubai Hub
The extended flight options to Milan-Bergamo and Naples are operated under the existing codeshare partnership between flydubai and Emirates, the international flagship carrier, which enables travelers to enjoy integrated travel plans, single-ticket purchases, coordinated flight schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airlines. This collaboration, utilizing Dubai’s central aviation hub, provides passengers connecting from Italian airports with streamlined access to popular long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct links to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
This capacity increase aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation within the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger traffic has shown consistent growth following the pandemic. The rise in flight frequencies supports the expansion of bilateral trade, investment, and leisure travel between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The addition of double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo caters to business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hubs, while daily flights to Southern Italy help meet the rising seasonal demand from international tourists exploring the region’s historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, remarked on the network’s growth, stating that both Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He emphasized that maintaining consistent regional access remains a priority while also committing to long-term connectivity improvements for underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that recent market data confirms flydubai’s strategy to strengthen its Italian operations through strategic frequency increases that accommodate the rising flow of passengers between the UAE and Italy, especially with the approaching winter travel period.
Regional Airports Serve as Direct Access Points for Travelers
Further elaborating on its commercial efforts, Jeyhun Efendi, the Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that expanding non-stop flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the strategic importance of Italy for the airline. Efendi explained that direct, non-stop routes enable international passengers to leverage the combined networks of flydubai and Emirates to reach global destinations seamlessly through Dubai. The airline’s leadership confirmed that their fleet capacity and operational teams are prepared to manage the increased daily flight schedule, ensuring high standards of reliability for both passenger and cargo services.
The operational enhancements in Italy reflect flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and strategic development of its international network. As the airline continues to acquire modern narrow-body aircraft, its commercial planners are aiming for further frequency upgrades on high-demand European routes. The revised Italian schedules reaffirm Dubai’s role as a major global aviation hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight movements between Europe and expanding destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.