flydubai launched daily flights between Dubai and Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, adding a second destination in Thailand alongside Krabi, the carrier said on July 1.
The route points to strong demand for travel between the UAE and Thailand, one of Thailand’s most important long-haul markets, as flydubai expands its Southeast Asian network and Bangkok’s secondary airport adds summer capacity ahead of the year-end peak season.
The inaugural flight departed Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport on July 1, landing to a water cannon salute and a welcome from officials representing the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Don Mueang International Airport. The route is operated with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The service is offered under the flydubai and Emirates codeshare partnership, allowing passengers to connect through Dubai on a single ticket with through-checked baggage.
“We are pleased to celebrate the start of our daily flights to Bangkok, further expanding our network in Thailand. Thailand remains a key destination for both leisure and business travel and our direct service to Don Mueang International Airport, which offers convenient access to central Bangkok, introduces a new gateway to the Thai capital,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive of flydubai.
The Middle East, particularly the UAE, is one of Thailand’s most important long-haul markets, said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, with 188,447 visitors arriving from the region between January 1 and June 21.
“Today’s inaugural flydubai flight between Dubai and Don Mueang comes at an especially opportune time and will strengthen air connectivity. Starting with one daily flight and operated with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, this route will add much-needed capacity to Thailand this summer,” said Kiatphaibool.
Return Business Class fares from Dubai to Don Mueang start from AED11,100 ($3,022), with Economy Class Lite fares from AED3,000.
Bangkok is the latest addition to flydubai’s network, following the recent launch of flights to Benghazi in Libya and planned flights to Pokhara in Nepal from September.
Why it matters for the trade
The daily service opens a second Thai gateway for flydubai and, through the Emirates codeshare, plugs Bangkok into a combined network reaching well beyond the Gulf. For the trade, the added summer capacity and Don Mueang’s proximity to central Bangkok give agents a fresh routing for UAE and GCC leisure and business travellers, timed to build into Thailand’s high-spending year-end peak.