DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai officially unveiled a substantial expansion of its European route network on Wednesday, boosting flight frequencies to major Italian destinations to accommodate rising international travel demand. Confirmations from Emirates News Agency detailed that flydubai enhances its operations within Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, thereby strengthening direct connectivity between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. The revised schedule will see the airline operate twice daily between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport starting July 31, 2026. Additionally, the airline has increased its services to Naples International Airport to a daily basis, reinforcing its presence across Italy’s key urban centers.
This schedule expansion broadens flydubai’s overall 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, running through the end of August. The airline also outlined operational adjustments resulting from scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. Due to planned maintenance at Naples International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily Dubai International Airport service to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport between November 1 and November 30, 2026. Flights to Naples will resume normally on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during the interim period.
Expanding Air Services Bolsters Bilateral Trade and Tourism Efforts
The increased routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the existing codeshare partnership between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This cooperation enables passengers to access integrated travel plans, single-ticket options, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage across both airline networks. By leveraging this joint network hub in Dubai, travelers connecting from Italian airports can easily reach long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct links to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
The capacity increase aligns with broader trends in the Middle East and European commercial aviation, where post-pandemic international passenger traffic has shown consistent growth. These additional flights support rising bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism exchanges between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo enhance seating capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s main financial and industrial hub, while daily flights to Southern Italy respond to increasing seasonal demand from international tourists visiting the historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, commented on the network expansion, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways within the airline’s European network. He highlighted that maintaining consistent regional access remains a priority, alongside a long-term commitment to improving connectivity to underserved markets. Al Ghaith also pointed out that market data demonstrates that the airline’s strategic frequency increases in Italy are designed to handle the growing passenger flow between the UAE and Italy, especially as travel volumes accelerate ahead of the winter season.
Increased Flight Frequencies Enhance Capacity to Milan and Naples
Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, stressed that expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the Italian market’s strategic importance. Efendi explained that providing non-stop routes allows international travelers to utilize the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates, seamlessly accessing major global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s commercial leadership assured that fleet resources and operational teams are ready to support the increased number of daily flights, ensuring reliable service for both passenger and cargo operations.
These operational enhancements in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development strategy. As the airline continues acquiring modern narrow-body aircraft, plans for further frequency increases on high-demand European routes are underway. The expanded schedule in Italy cements Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub, promoting smooth passenger and freight movement between European points and expanding destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.