Khaleej Times, Mon, Feb 26, 2024 | Shaban 16, 1445
Dubai's budget carrier Flydubai reports record-breaking Dh2.1 billion profit in 2023
Emirates:
The Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai saw record profits of Dh2.1 billion
($572 million) in 2023, boosted by carrying the most passengers ever across its
network, the company announced Thursday.
The state-owned carrier, based in the business and tourism hub of Dubai in the
UAE, reported revenue of $3 billion, compared to $2.5 billion the year before.
It also carried 13.8 million passengers, beating its prior pre-pandemic record
of 11 million in a year.
It saw a profit of $327 million in profit in 2022.
“Building on the momentum from our previous strong performance, we continued to
grow surpassing all pre-pandemic levels to achieve the most profitable year in
the history of the airline,” Ghaith al-Ghaith, Flydubai's CEO, said in a
statement.
Flydubai is the sister airline to long-haul carrier Emirates, both based out of
Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel. The
airport just announced that it beat its own pre-pandemic figures for 2023,
though it remains just shy of its all-time-highest figures of 89.1 million
passengers in 2018.
Flydubai had been one of the biggest customers of the 737 Max. The Boeing 737 is
a workhorse for the airline, which along with long-haul carrier Emirates is
owned by the government’s Investment Corporation of Dubai. The two carriers also
operate code-share flights, increasing traffic on Flydubai routes.
Flydubai has a fleet of 84 aircraft and flies to 122 locations in 52 countries.