flydubai is diversifying its business mission and starting dedicated freighter operations next month. From 01OCT26, three Boeing 737-800 freighters will be joining its fleet through a wet-lease agreement with SolitAir, complementing its own passenger fleet of 98 Boeing 737 aircraft. Each freighter offers up to 23 tons of cargo capacity per flight. This is the first phase of the airline’s transition to becoming a full-service logistics provider under the management of Mohamed Hassan, flydubai’s SVP, Airport Services & Cargo, and Rashid Albashri, VP, Cargo at flydubai. The cargo space on offer will increase further with the delivery of 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and flydubai Cargo plans to combine scheduled freight operations with flexible charter solutions across its growing network, in future. From 2029 on, the airline will also consider passenger-to-freighter retrofits.
The new freighters are due to begin operation in time to cover the fourth quarter peak, this year, offering main-deck cargo capacity to and from flydubai’s hub at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), where they benefit from dedicated airside infrastructure and direct multimodal access via Dubai South. flydubai Cargo will provide charter and scheduled freighter services to over 125 destinations across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It aims to transport specialized cargo such as pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, dangerous goods, express shipments, and aerospace parts, with flight frequency set to increase as demand and capacity grow.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, announced: “Dubai has established itself as one of the world’s most connected hubs for e-commerce, trade and logistics, and its ambitions under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 continue to create new opportunities for businesses to reach global markets. The launch of dedicated freighter operations marks an important step in flydubai’s evolution and reflects our commitment to supporting Dubai’s vision through enhanced trade connectivity and logistics capabilities. By building on the strength of our network and expanding our cargo offering and list of codeshare and interline partners, we are creating new pathways for businesses to move goods more efficiently, access new markets and contribute to economic growth across the region and beyond.”
Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, added: “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 specialized handling. Establishing DWC as our freighter hub, gives our commercial partners direct access to Dubai’s world-class logistics ecosystem, backed by tailored products designed for high-value and sensitive cargo.”
