Flydubai heads for Russia

Low-cost carrier flydubai to offer twice-weekly flights to Yekaterinburg

Last updated:
2 MIN READ
Rex Features
Rex Features
Rex Features

Dubai: As bilateral trade between Russia and the UAE recovers after last year's global lull, flydubai will launch a new route to one of the country's largest cities to cash in on business and tourist travel.

The Dubai-based low-cost carrier will start twice-weekly flights to Yekaterinburg, a city at the foothills of the Ural mountain range, from October 16, connecting the two commercial cities.

"Staying true to flydubai's promise to offer new and interesting destinations, Yekaterinburg has much to attract both business and leisure travellers," Gaith Al Gaith, chief executive of flydubai, said in a statement.

"Trade between Russia and the UAE has grown considerably in recent years and the addition of a direct air link with the commercially important city of Yekaterinburg will help strengthen the relationship between the two countries," he said.

Russian exports to and imports from the UAE last year amounted to $622 million (Dh2.28 billion), falling about 20 per cent from 2008's peak of $850 million, a top Russian official in Abu Dhabi told Gulf News yesterday.

On conditions of anonymity, he said that first-quarter figures have improved and show a recovery in bilateral trade in line with a recovery in world trade.

"Ural is a restricted region because it is in Siberia, but airlines will make this region nearer so it [the new route] is important and very prosperous. Yekaterinburg is a big industrial city with lots of companies," he said.

Yekaterinburg, formerly known as Sverdlovsk, is located to the east of the Ural mountains and is the administrative centre of the Sverdlovsk Oblast region.

One of Russia's largest cities, Yekaterinburg has a unique architectural flavour, featuring more than 600 monuments.

The city is perhaps most associated with the doomed Romanov imperial dynasty and the Russian Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II, his wife and children were executed by the Bolsheviks at Yekaterinburg's Ipatiev House, the home of a leading merchant family, in July 1918. The site is now commemorated by an impressive monument, known as the Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land.

Bustling hub

Today, the city is a hub for heavy industry as well as a key centre for business and finance. Home to the prestigious Ural State University, Yekaterinburg is an important stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connects the Ural region and the rest of Russia. It also boasts the tallest building in Russia outside Moscow, the Antey III tower.

"Yekaterinburg has a special place in Russian history but is also very forward looking. Visitors to the city will be sure to experience a taste of the rich culture of this fascinating country, both past and present," Al Gaith said.

Other airlines flying to the Russian city include Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Malév, Austrian Airlines, Czech Airlines and Finnair.

One-way flights from Dubai start at Dh1,150, with one-way flights from Yekaterinburg from $400. A round-trip would cost around Dh2,600.

Do you choose your vacation based on price or the attraction of the destination? Do you think Yekaterianburg is an attractive destination? Would you be interested in flying there? Tell us at readers@gulfnews.com

Sign up for the Daily Briefing

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox

Up Next