Dubai’s flydubai reports strong profit, expands network

Dubai: Dubai airline flydubai has reported a pre-tax profit of Dh2.2 billion for the year ending December 31, 2025, as the airline carried a record 15.7 million passengers across its rapidly expanding network.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, said, “Reporting its fifth consecutive year of strong profitability is a clear testament to flydubai’s disciplined strategy and operational resilience.”

Airline CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said the airline navigated a period of geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain constraints, and “rising maintenance costs, while maintaining operational efficiency and commercial momentum.”

Revenue hit Dh13.6 billion, 6 per cent higher than Dh12.8 billion in 2024. The airline posted a profit after tax of Dh1.9 billion.

Over the past year, the airline has expanded its network and invested in several enhancements to its customer service. In a statement issued Thursday, the airline said it remains committed to serving underserved markets.

He said flydubai maintained a sharp focus on operational efficiency, ensuring it continues to invest wisely in its fleet, technology, product and talent development to support its ambitious future growth.

He added, “By connecting the city to more than 100 underserved markets, flydubai has contributed to attracting more visitors and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a gateway for trade, tourism and opportunity.”

Commenting on the outlook for 2026, Al Ghaith said demand for travel remains healthy, and the airline is well-positioned for continued growth. He said the carrier will prioritise investment in AI-driven technologies, digitisation and talent development, while expanding its training programmes and flight training centre, which now has four full-flight simulators.

A new Aircraft Maintenance Centre at Dubai South is due for completion in the final quarter of 2026. The airline expects to take delivery of 12 aircraft next year — seven Boeing 737 MAX 9s and five Boeing 737 MAX 8s — add frequencies on selected routes and launch Bangkok later this year.

flydubai maintained an EBITDA of Dh4.0 billion in 2025. Fuel cost accounted for 25 per cent of total operating expenses, while the closing cash and bank balance (including pre-delivery payments) totalled Dh 5.6 billion.

Business Class demand was particularly strong, with uptake increasing by 19 per cent compared to 2024.

Increased frequencies and the extension of its network across key markets further supported passenger growth, with the Middle East recording an 17 per cent increase, followed by Africa at 12 per cent and Europe at 12 per cent.

Al Ghaith said the airline is focused on disciplined, strategic growth and on expanding its network.

“Today, we connect 140 airports to Dubai, facilitating trade, tourism and cultural exchange, while contributing meaningfully to the city’s economic growth” he added.

Last year, the carrier operated 126,604 flights, the second-highest number serving the country, and recorded more than 400 departures in a single day during peak travel in December 2025.

flydubai launched nine new destinations and grew its network to 140 destinations in 58 countries. These additions include Al Alamein (Egypt); Antalya (Türkiye); Bushehr and Qeshm (Iran); Iași (Romania); Nairobi (Kenya); Peshawar (Pakistan); Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania).

The carrier also resumed operations to three destinations: Chișinău (Moldova), Damascus (Syria) and Tabriz (Iran).

Overall network capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKM), increased by 6 per cent, while Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKM) went up by 6 per cent, with Passenger Yield improving by 3 per cent compared to 2024.

flydubai said it took delivery of 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, expanding its fleet to 97 aircraft with an average age of 5.5 years. During this time, the carrier retired three Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which were returned to the lessors.

The airline also finalised its retrofit programme, retrofitting eight Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft and bringing the total number of retrofitted aircraft in the fleet to 25.  

During the Dubai Airshow last year, the airline placed an order for Airbus aircraft, a first for the airline that has been an all-Boeing carrier. It placed a mega order for150 Airbus A321neos and 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

flydubai also signed an agreement to introduce complimentary, high-speed Starlink inflight connectivity across its fleet from 2026.

During the year, the carrier signed 11 new interline agreements, expanding its portfolio to 42 interline partners and providing customers with access to more than 300 destinations across the combined flydubai and partner networks, in addition to its three codeshare agreements with Air Canada, Emirates and United Airlines.

 The airline’s continued recruitment drive delivered an 11 per cent increase in headcount, bringing its total workforce to 6,763 employees.