Flydubai intends to expand its presence in Russia and Ukraine, opening five new destinations in these countries in September this year. So in the first month of autumn, Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk, Kazan and Ufa will appear on the Flydubai flight map.
Flydubai's plans for the near future will focus on one of the key regions, which is rather unusual for an airline serving a wide range of destinations in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. However, the Flydubai "marching" to Russia and Ukraine, of course, is supported by the increased demand for holidays in the UAE from the citizens of these countries. It is tourism, according to the head of Flydubai, Gate Al Gate, will be the main factor in the appointment of new flights, the start of which will coincide with the beginning of the winter tourist season.
As Mr. Al Gate noted, in order to attract Russian and Ukrainian tourists, the UAE has to compete with Egypt and Turkey - in fact, the most popular beach holiday destinations among residents of Russia and Ukraine. But Flydubai's advertising campaign to develop the Russian and Ukrainian markets will also appeal to businessmen. In addition, Flydubai expects to arouse the interest of UAE citizens in their new destinations, which have considerable cultural and historical advantages.
The risk that Flydubai takes upon itself to schedule flights to three Ukrainian cities at once is mitigated, according to Mr. Al Gate, by the fact that service of Kiev, Donetsk and Kharkov by Flydubai airliners will be carried out only two to three times a week. According to the head of Flydubai, this guarantees the success of these flights from the first day of their existence.
