flydubai will launch dedicated freighter operations from October 1, adding three Boeing 737-800 freighter aircraft to move the Dubai carrier beyond belly-hold cargo for the first time, the airline said on September 11.
For the travel trade the move signals how far Gulf carriers are pushing into standalone cargo as passenger and freight economics diverge: flydubai is basing the freighters at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) rather than its passenger hub, giving its cargo arm dedicated airside infrastructure and multimodal road access through Dubai South, and positioning it to win guaranteed main-deck capacity for time-sensitive shippers that belly-hold space alone cannot serve.
The three aircraft will be wet-leased from SolitAir, a Dubai South-based express cargo carrier, each adding 23,000 kg of payload per flight. They will complement cargo carried in the holds of flydubai’s 98 Boeing 737 passenger jets, with larger capacity to follow once the airline takes delivery of its 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. flydubai said the initial phase gives it immediate main-deck capability ahead of the fourth-quarter peak, with passenger-to-freighter conversions under evaluation from 2029.
The freighters will fly point-to-point charter and scheduled services across more than 125 destinations spanning Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, central and southeastern Europe, the GCC and Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The dedicated capacity allows tailored handling of specialised cargo including pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, express shipments, dangerous goods and aerospace components.
Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said the launch marked an important step in the carrier’s evolution and supported Dubai’s ambitions under its D33 economic agenda to expand trade connectivity. Chief commercial officer Hamad Obaidalla said evolving trade needs meant partners increasingly required guaranteed main-deck capacity, flexible scheduling and specialised handling, which the DWC hub would provide.
The expansion transitions flydubai Cargo from a belly-hold operation into a full-service logistics provider offering both scheduled routes and charter. It leans on a fast-growing partner: SolitAir, led by founder Hamdi Osman, only secured its UAE air operator certificate in 2024 and is building towards a 20-aircraft fleet by 2027, aiming to connect cities within a six-hour radius of Dubai.