flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al-Ghaith has told Bloomberg news that the budget carrier is looking at starting longhaul operations.
In an interview held during the ongoing 2015 Dubai Airshow, Al-Ghaith said that the advent of longhaul operations will depend on flydubai transitioning from its current point-to-point model to a more hub-and-spoke-oriented business model. Should its plans come to fruition, the LCC would open up services to destinations not currently served by sister carrier Emirates (EK, Dubai International). Among the most likely maiden destinations however would be Manila Ninoy Aquino International, he said, where Filipino LCC Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) already has a foothold.
Using a fleet of fifty B737-800s, flydubai currently serves ninety-eight destinations in forty-six countries scattered across the Middle East, Asia, the CIS, North & Central Africa, Eastern Europe. Though potential widebody aircraft are currently under consideration, no decision has yet been taken, he said.
