Summary
- flydubai has become the first airline to offer direct flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia.
- The daily service will operate from Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport, and the flight timings seem to have been planned to accommodate connections to popular destinations in Europe via Dubai.
- flydubai is expanding significantly, adding new destinations and developing its fleet. It recently placed an order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to be delivered from 2026.
flydubai has commenced flights to the popular tourist spots in Malaysia – Penang and Langkawi, as it expands its reach in Southeast Asia. It has become the first airline to connect Dubai with these two destinations and started these services during the popular Chinese New Year festival.
Dubai to Penang and Langkawi
flydubai has started flying to the Malaysian islands of Penang and Langkawi, becoming the only airline to offer flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to these two destinations. While Penang International Airport (PEN) is served non-stop from Dubai, the same flight then continues to Langkawi International Airport (LGK).
Photo: flydubai
While the UAE is otherwise connected with Malaysia with services to its capital Kuala Lumpur through airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, and Batik Air, it is the first time an airline has offered direct flights from Dubai to Penang and Langkawi. Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai, commented,
“We are pleased to see our presence grow in Southeast Asia with the addition of Penang and Langkawi to our growing network. flydubai remains committed to opening up underserved markets and with the start of our daily service, we look forward to offering our passengers more opportunities to explore the beautiful region.”
Flight schedule
The airline will operate the daily service from Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport, as per the following schedule:
|
Flight Number |
Departure Airport |
Arrival Airport |
Departure Time |
Arrival Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FZ 1603 |
DXB |
PEN |
04:10 |
15:05 |
|
FZ 1603 |
PEN |
LGK |
16:05 |
16:45 |
|
FZ 1604 |
LGK |
PEN |
19:45 |
20:45 |
|
FZ 1604 |
PEN |
DXB |
21:45 |
01:05 |
The flight timings have been planned keeping in mind the other connections from Dubai to popular destinations in the West, particularly Europe. Penang and Langkawi also expand flydubai’s network in Southeast Asia to four destinations, including Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand.
Photo: flydubai
flydubai operates these flights using one of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which also features lie-flat seats in a business class cabin along with in-flight entertainment.
Business growth
flydubai is in a significant expansion mode, whether it’s adding new destinations or embarking on a fleet development program. The airline, which celebrated its 14th year in 2023, also launched 737 MAX flights to Mombasa in Kenya last month, becoming the first UAE national carrier on this route.
In 2023, it also became the first UAE airline to start a service to Cairo Sphinx Airport. Additionally, it added its third destination in Poland – Poznan – on top of Warsaw and Kraków. This was to cater to the growing demand for travel to Poland.
Last year, the carrier also launched its largest-ever recruitment drive to sustain its post-pandemic growth, with a target of hiring more than 1,000 new employees in 2023.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Then, at the Dubai Airshow, flydubai placed its first widebody order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to be delivered from 2026 and valued at $11 billion. Simple Flying’s route expert James Pearson has analyzed where the airline could fly its 787s in the article below.
First Widebody Order: Where Could flydubai Fly Its Boeing 787s?
Will any of these places be part of its future network?
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