flydubai deploys three freighters from October

flydubai will begin dedicated freighter operations on October 1, adding three Boeing 737-800 cargo aircraft as the Dubai carrier broadens its freight business and strengthens capacity for regional trade.

The aircraft will join the fleet through a wet-lease agreement with SolitAir and will be based at Al Maktoum International Airport, or Dubai World Central. Each freighter will offer payload capacity of up to 23,000kg per flight, supplementing cargo already carried in the belly holds of flydubai’s 98 Boeing 737 passenger aircraft.

The move gives flydubai dedicated main-deck cargo capacity for the first time and forms the initial phase of a wider expansion of its freight operations. The airline said the timing would provide additional capacity ahead of the fourth-quarter peak season, when demand from e-commerce, express delivery and other freight sectors typically rises.

flydubai plans to operate scheduled point-to-point cargo services as well as charter flights across a network spanning more than 125 destinations. The network covers markets in Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the Gulf, the wider Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Dedicated freighters will also allow the airline to handle cargo categories that require more specialised treatment than conventional passenger-aircraft belly freight. flydubai identified aerospace components, temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, express courier shipments and dangerous goods among the commodities the new operation is designed to carry.

Initial services will concentrate on high-demand regional routes, with frequencies expected to increase as operational capacity grows. The airline has not yet announced a detailed schedule of freighter destinations or flight frequencies.

Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said the cargo expansion was intended to build on Dubai’s position as a major centre for e-commerce, trade and logistics and to support the emirate’s economic development agenda. He said expanding flydubai’s cargo offering and its network of codeshare and interline partners would create additional channels for companies moving goods between regional and international markets.

The choice of Al Maktoum International Airport gives flydubai Cargo access to dedicated airside infrastructure and multimodal transport links within Dubai South. The airport and surrounding logistics district are being developed as a major freight and aviation centre, providing road connections and access to warehousing and distribution facilities.

Chief Commercial Officer Hamad Obaidalla said freight customers increasingly required guaranteed main-deck capacity, flexible schedules and specialised handling. Obaidalla said flydubai had opened more than 100 underserved markets since 2009, giving the carrier an established network it can now use to support regional freight flows. Establishing the cargo operation at DWC, he said, would allow commercial partners to use Dubai’s logistics infrastructure while accessing products designed for high-value and sensitive shipments.

The three leased Boeing 737-800 freighters will operate alongside flydubai’s passenger fleet rather than replacing its existing belly-hold cargo business. That combination will allow the airline to use passenger services for routine freight while assigning larger, specialised or time-sensitive consignments to dedicated aircraft where required.

flydubai expects cargo capacity to rise further after it begins receiving 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners ordered for its long-haul expansion. The wide-body aircraft will offer greater belly-hold space than the airline’s current all-Boeing 737 passenger fleet, increasing the amount of freight that can be carried alongside passengers and baggage.

The carrier also plans to evaluate converting passenger aircraft into freighters from 2029, a step that could give it owned cargo capacity beyond the initial wet-leased operation. No decision has been announced on the number of aircraft that could be converted or the timetable for any such programme.

Under a wet lease, the aircraft are generally supplied with crew, maintenance and insurance by the leasing operator, allowing an airline to add capacity without immediately establishing all of those functions itself. SolitAir is based in Dubai South and operates Boeing 737 freighters for cargo services.