DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai revealed a significant enhancement to its European route network on Wednesday, boosting flight frequencies to major Italian hubs in response to increasing international travel demand. As reported by Emirates News Agency, flydubai is amplifying its operations in Italy with more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct transportation links between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting from July 31, 2026, the airline will operate a double-daily service connecting Dubai International Airport with Milan-Bergamo Airport, while also increasing its flights to Naples International Airport to a daily service.
This schedule expansion broadens the airline’s overall presence in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and bi-weekly seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through the end of August. Along with the increase in flight frequency, flydubai has outlined operational adjustments caused by scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. Due to planned maintenance at Dubai International Airport, the carrier will temporarily reroute its daily service from Dubai to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Normal flights to Naples are expected to restart on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Flydubai Boosts Flight Frequencies to Major Italian Cities
The increased routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the existing codeshare agreement between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This partnership offers passengers integrated travel options, unified ticketing, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage across both networks. By utilizing Dubai as a 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 expansion aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers have steadily increased post-pandemic. The rise in flight frequencies supports growing bilateral trade, investment, and tourism flows between the UAE and Italy. The additional double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo increase seat capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s main financial and industrial hub. Meanwhile, daily flights to Southern Italy help meet the rising seasonal demand from tourists exploring cultural landmarks along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s CEO, commented on the network expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He underlined that maintaining consistent regional access remains a priority, as part of the airline’s long-term strategy to improve connectivity in underserved markets. Al Ghaith added that the market indicators confirm that flydubai is strengthening its operations in Italy with strategic increases in flight frequency to accommodate the rising passenger traffic between the UAE and Italy, especially with travel demand accelerating ahead of the winter season.
Salerno Route as a Temporary Solution During Maintenance
Regarding operational plans, Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the importance of the Italian market for the airline. Efendi explained that providing non-stop routes allows passengers to leverage the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates for seamless access to global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s commercial teams have confirmed that fleet allocations and operational preparations are in place to manage the increased daily flights, ensuring reliable service for both passengers and cargo.
These operational developments in Italy form part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network growth strategy. As new modern narrow-body aircraft are delivered, the airline’s planning teams are aiming for further frequency enhancements across high-demand European routes. The extended Italian flight schedules reinforce Dubai’s role as a major aviation hub, enabling smooth passenger and freight movement between Europe and expanding markets across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.