flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) will launch dedicated freighter operations on October 1, 2026, wet leasing three B737-800(F)s from SolitAir (SH, Dubai World Central), the airline announced in a press release.

The Boeing jets will be based at Dubai World Central and provide up to 23,000 kilograms of payload capacity per flight. flydubai does not currently operate dedicated freighters in-house, with its cargo business relying on bellyhold capacity aboard its passenger fleet.

A flydubai spokesperson told ch-aviation that the wet-lease agreement with SolitAir will run for three years, adding that the carrier will announce the freighter routes on its website in October.

The carrier said the three-aircraft deployment marks the first phase of its freighter expansion, with plans to evaluate passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029. It intends to use the wet-leased aircraft for both scheduled point-to-point services and ad-hoc charters.

"Since 2009, flydubai has opened more than 100 underserved markets and expanded regional connectivity. As trade requirements evolve, our partners require guaranteed main-deck capacity, flexible scheduling, and specialised handling," chief commercial officer Hamad Obaidalla said.

A September 16 announcement from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport gave an early indication of the cargo expansion plans, saying flydubai aims to launch weekly B737 freighter flights between Almaty International and Dubai from October 2.

In February 2026, SolitAir founder and chief executive Hamdi Osman told ch-aviation that the carrier was looking for ACMI work for its own aircraft and was in talks with other regional airlines about potential partnerships.

According to ch-aviation data, SolitAir operates two in-house B737-800(BCF)s and two in-house B737-800(BDSF)s. It also wet leases one B737-800(BCF) from ASL Airlines Ireland. Meanwhile, flydubai operates 98 aircraft, comprising sixty-nine B737-8s, twenty-five B737-800s, and four B737-9s.