Dubai: Low-cost carrier flydubai announced on Wednesday the launch of a Business Class cabin across its fleet.

It will have 12 light-weight seats made of Italian leather with a seat pitch of 42 inches. The cabin’s in-flight entertainment system includes 12.1-inch touch screens, offering over 900 hours of movies, games and music. Also, travellers will have an international selection of food. A dedicated cabin crew will be there to assist them.

Gaith Al Gaith, CEO of flydubai, said the introduction of the cabin is a result of strong demand by customers. “There is a big need for a Business Class. There are 44 destinations that do not have a proper connection — or a Business Class — to Dubai,” he told Gulf News.

The new cabin is a “big boost for the airline,” he said, adding that it will have “a significant influence on [flydubai’s] profitability.”

Al Gaith believes that the new cabin will not weigh on the airline’s costs. “Efficiency and low-cost has to make commercial sense… it has to make enough money and break even,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Business Class travellers will be offered a range of services to assist them in making their trip from start to finish. There will have a dedicated customer service team to help book their flight, and gain the benefit of priority check-in. Upon reaching their destination, travellers will have priority baggage collection.

Also, later this year, travellers can have access to the Business Class lounge.

Currently, flydubai offers only Economy Class on its fleet. Unlike the Business Class ticket, the Economy Class one does not include meals and in-flight entertainment-but these can be purchased separately and, later this year, food options can be selected ahead of the flight.

The Business Class option will be available for passengers in August this year and tickets can be purchased on selected flights from then on. The inaugural flight will be in October.

Flydubai operations span 60 destinations.