Dubai: Flydubai has announced the initiation of dedicated freighter operations starting 1st October 2026, marking a strategic move to enhance its operational capabilities and support Dubai's standing as an international logistics and trade hub.
According to Emirates News Agency, the airline will introduce three Boeing 737-800 freighter aircraft to its fleet through a wet-lease agreement with SolitAir. Each aircraft will offer an additional payload capacity of 23,000 kg per flight, augmenting the belly-hold operations across flydubai's existing fleet of 98 Boeing 737 passenger aircraft. This expansion is set to increase further with the anticipated delivery of 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, as flydubai evaluates passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, stated that Dubai's reputation as one of the world's most connected hubs for e-commerce, trade, and logistics is a vital part of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to create new business opportunities in global markets. He emphasized that this launch is a crucial step in flydubai's growth, enhancing trade connectivity and logistics capabilities, and opening new avenues for businesses to move goods across regions.
The operations will be based at Dubai World Central (DWC), offering flydubai Cargo dedicated airside infrastructure and seamless multimodal access through Dubai South. This setup will facilitate point-to-point charter and scheduled freighter services across over 125 destinations in Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC and Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The dedicated freighter aircraft will cater to specialized cargo needs, including aerospace components, temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, express courier shipments, and dangerous goods. Initial flights will focus on high-demand regional sectors, with an increase in frequency as operational capacity grows.
Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, noted that since 2009, flydubai has expanded connectivity by opening more than 100 underserved markets. He highlighted that as trade demands evolve, partners require dependable main-deck capacity, flexible scheduling, and specialized handling. The establishment of DWC as the freighter hub will provide commercial partners with direct access to Dubai's logistics ecosystem, complemented by tailored solutions for high-value and sensitive cargo.