DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – Dubai-based airline flydubai announced a significant enhancement of its European route network on Wednesday, with increased flight frequencies to major Italian hubs to meet rising international travel demands. As reported by Emirates News Agency, flydubai is expanding its operations in Italy by adding more flights to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, the airline will operate a double-daily service between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport, while also increasing its flights to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule.
This expanded timetable broadens flydubai’s overall presence in Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and twice-weekly seasonal summer services to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia through the end of August. The airline also outlined operational adjustments needed due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. Because of 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. Normal flights to Naples are expected to resume on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Airline Expands Service Frequencies to Key Italian Cities
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue under the established codeshare partnership between flydubai and flag carrier Emirates. This cooperation enables passengers to access integrated travel plans, unified ticketing, synchronized schedules, and through-checked baggage handling across both airlines’ networks. Leveraging the joint network at Dubai’s central hub, travelers connecting from Italian airports benefit from streamlined 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 across the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger traffic has steadily increased post-pandemic. The rise in flight frequencies supports growing bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism between the UAE and Italy. The additional double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo boost seat capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub, while daily services to Southern Italy cater to seasonal demand from tourists visiting historic sites along the Amalfi Coast.
Commenting on the expansion, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, stated that Naples and Milan have become vital destinations in the airline’s European network. He emphasized that maintaining reliable regional access for travelers remains a priority, alongside a long-term commitment to connect underserved markets. Al Ghaith pointed out that market data shows flydubai is strengthening its operations in Italy with strategic frequency increases to accommodate the rising flow of passengers between the UAE and Italy, especially as travel volumes grow heading into the winter season.
Salerno Route Acts as Temporary Link During Airport Work
Further elaborating on their commercial activities, Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, highlighted that increasing non-stop flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the strategic importance of the Italian market. Efendi noted that providing direct connections allows international travelers to leverage the combined reach of flydubai and Emirates, enabling seamless access to key global destinations via Dubai. The airline confirmed that its fleet and operational teams are prepared to handle the increased flight volume, ensuring high reliability across passenger and cargo services.
These operational upgrades in Italy are part of flydubai’s ongoing fleet expansion and international network development strategy. As the airline continues to receive modern narrow-body aircraft, plans for further frequency upgrades on high-demand European routes are underway. The expanded Italian schedule cements Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub, facilitating smooth passenger and freight movements between European origins and expanding destinations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.