Dubai-based flydubai today celebrated the arrival of its inaugural service to Mumbai. The route will further strengthen the relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while offering passengers greater choice and flexibility. Today’s announcement brings the number of cities the airline serves in India to seven and the number of weekly flights to the country to 25.

From the moment flydubai commenced flights to India in 2010, there was a strong appetite for enhanced connectivity. Four years later demand remains with passenger numbers from January to June this year up 12.3% on the same period in 2013 and this trend is set to continue.

Commenting on the launch of the inaugural flight, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “The launch of our Mumbai route is a clear indication of the enduring relationship between India and the UAE. Today’s announcement is a reflection of this and in tandem with the decision to increase seat capacity we can now offer enhanced options for passengers connecting to Dubai and other destinations in our network.”

In 2013, India became Dubai’s top trading partner, with a trade volume of USD 37 billion. In August this year, Dubai International Airport recorded a jump in passenger numbers of 147,096 on the same month in 2013, making India the fastest growing source market for the UAE.

Commenting on board the inaugural flight to Mumbai, Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent, Africa) at flydubai added, “Today’s Mumbai launch will add a new chapter to a rich story of trade, tourism and cultural exchange between the two nations. flydubai remains committed to delivering affordable and reliable travel options but we also take pride in bringing the people, ideas and values of two great countries a little closer.”

flydubai operates direct flights five times a week between Dubai International’s Terminal 2 and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. flydubai has a network of 86 destinations, of which 54 were previously underserved. Within India, in addition to Mumbai, flydubai operates services to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Lucknow and Trivandrum. Business class is available on flights to Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Trivandrum.

flydubai has a fleet of 41 new Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft and operates more than 1,100 flights a week across the Middle East, GCC, Africa, Caucasus, Central Asia, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent.

Mumbai Flight Details:

flydubai is operating five flights a week between Dubai and Mumbai starting from 28 October 2014.

FZ445 is scheduled to depart Dubai International Terminal 2 at 2240hrs local time, landing in Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 0300hrs local time. FZ446 is scheduled to depart Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 0400hrs, arriving into Dubai at 0600hrs local time.

Round trip fares

Economy Class return fares to Mumbai start at INR 14,200 including 20kg checked baggage, while Business Class return fares will start at INR 46,000 and are inclusive of all taxes and 40kg checked baggage.