Dubai?s low-cost airline flydubai has reported a net profit of US$68mn, which is an increase of 12.3 per cent from 2013 and the airline?s total revenue has gone up to US$1.2bn
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of flydubai, said, ?The UAE has firmly established itself as a centre of gravity for aviation. We have long recognised the importance of aviation to our economic growth. flydubai continues to make a key contribution to our economy in particular as a result of its strategy to open up previously underserved routes.?
The recent order for more aircraft as well as investments being made on the ground and in the air have been the right strategy for the airline, added Al Maktoum. flydubai officials asaid that the airline carried 7.25mn passengers in 2014, and witnessed an increase in passenger numbers between 2013 and 2014 by 14 per cent in Africa, 57 per cent in Central Asia and 11 per cent in Europe.
From 2013 to 2014, the airline added 23 new routes, added new flights to existing routes and created a network of 86 destinations. The airline now operates 1,400 flights per week.
The number of routes in Africa grew by 100 per cent, in Central Asia by 66 per cent, in Europe including Russia by 40 per cent, in the Middle East by 30 per cent and in the GCC by seven per cent. Within the GCC, flydubai offers 608 weekly flights and 63 weekly flights in the MENA region.
All aircraft delivered since August 2013 have been configured with business class amenities. The carrier took delivery of eight new Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft and ended the year with a fleet of 43 aircraft.
According to flydubai officials, 2015 will be a demanding year due to the global socio-economic landscape.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said, ?We will end 2015 with a fleet of 50 aircraft. With new route launches, this is an endorsement of the strategy we set out at the beginning and it underlines the achievements of the past six years. We will begin preparations for new deliveries in 2016 and the first deliveries of the 737 MAX 8s in 2017 bringing further efficiency to our fleet.?
