flydubai Sets December Launch for Baltic Routes
Dubai-based low-cost carrier flydubai has announced revised launch dates for its highly anticipated entry into the Baltic region after delays in aircraft deliveries forced the airline to postpone its original 2024 plans. The airline will now begin flights to Vilnius, Lithuania, on December 11, 2025, followed by Riga, Latvia, on December 12. Both routes will operate three times per week, introducing direct connectivity between Dubai and the Baltic capitals and intensifying competition with airBaltic, which currently offers nonstop service between Dubai and both cities.
The airline had initially planned to debut routes to Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, Estonia, in October 2024. However, disruptions caused by Boeing’s last-minute changes to delivery timelines prompted flydubai to scale back its expansion plans. The airline received just four Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in 2024—far fewer than the 14 it had expected. This delay not only disrupted its network growth but also pushed its Baltic entry into the following year.
In addition to the Baltic markets, flydubai will also expand its footprint in Eastern Europe by launching service to Chișinău, Moldova, on September 17, and Iași, Romania, on September 19. Each of these routes will operate twice weekly, offering additional connectivity to destinations currently underserved from the UAE. Chișinău is already linked to Dubai by Fly One and to Abu Dhabi by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, but Iași will become a newly served destination.
flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith emphasized the strategic importance of these new routes, noting that over 75 percent of the carrier’s 135-plus destinations are underserved markets from Dubai. He reiterated the airline’s commitment to enhancing trade and cultural ties with Eastern Europe and the Baltics while supporting Dubai’s growth as a global aviation hub.
The new services will see flydubai challenge existing operators and tap into pent-up demand for direct travel between the Gulf region and Eastern Europe. In Riga, flydubai will compete head-on with airBaltic’s year-round service to Dubai, while in Vilnius, flydubai will go up against airBaltic’s seasonal winter flights. The addition of Iași also fills a notable gap in direct UAE-Romania connectivity, as no airline currently offers nonstop service between the two cities.
With these new additions, flydubai continues to build one of the most diverse low-cost networks in the Middle East, focusing on linking Dubai with emerging and underserved destinations across Europe, Asia, and Africa. As aircraft deliveries stabilize, the airline is poised to resume its aggressive growth strategy heading into 2026.
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