Dubai-based low-cost airline Flydubai has launched new routes to Islamabad and Lahore, marking a significant expansion in its services to Pakistan.
The inaugural flights were ceremoniously greeted with traditional water cannon salutes at both airports on July 1 (Monday), symbolizing a warm welcome to the new additions to flydubai’s network.
Flydubai inaugral flights land in Islamabad and Lahore
The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Rescue and Fire Fighting Service honored the inaugural flight from Dubai to Lahore, FZ 359, as it arrived at Allama Iqbal International Airport at 4:29 AM.
A festive atmosphere enveloped the occasion with a cake-cutting ceremony and gift presentations to the arriving passengers. CAA representatives and other officials were present to extend their greetings and celebrate the new service.
On July 1, Flydubai’s inaugural flight to Islamabad, FZ 353, touched down at Islamabad International Airport at 1:13 PM. The aircraft received a similar water cannon salute, and the return flight departed for Dubai at 2:20 PM with 162 passengers on board. The airline has announced that it will operate daily flights to Islamabad, enhancing connectivity between the two cities.
Commenting on the beginning of operations, Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai, said that “At flydubai, we are always looking for opportunities to better serve our customers with more options for travel and we are pleased to have launched our daily services to Islamabad and Lahore. The commencement of our 14 weekly flights to these two points will enable more of our passengers to enjoy direct access between the UAE and Pakistan.”
This expansion marks flydubai’s continued commitment to the Pakistani market, where it first began operations in 2010 with flights to Karachi. Since then, the airline has extended its reach to include Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, and Sialkot.
“Pakistan has long been an important market for flydubai. Since 2010 when we first started operations to the market, we have seen sustained demand for travel and with the start of our daily services to Islamabad and Lahore, we look forward to offering passengers more opportunities to explore Dubai, the GCC region and beyond on the flydubai network,” Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, earlier said.
The Dubai-based carrier has built a growing network of more than 125 destinations across 58 countries served by a young fleet of 88 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Flydubai Flight details for the two destinations
Flights will operate daily from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) to Islamabad International Airport (ISB) and Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE).
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Arrival Airport | Departure Time | Arrival Time |
| FZ 353 | DXB | ISB | 09:05 | 13:20 |
| FZ 354 | ISB | DXB | 14:20 | 16:50 |
| FZ 359 | DXB | LHE | 00:30 | 04:45 |
| FZ 360 | LHE | DXB | 05:45 | 08:15 |
Flydubai Fare
The return Business Class fares from DXB to ISB start from AED 5,500 ($1497) and Economy Class fares start from AED 1,300 ($354). Return Business Class fares from ISB to DXB start from PKR 400,000 ($1436) and Economy Class fares start from PKR 120,000 ($430).
Additionally, earlier in the week, Tajikistan airline Somon Air initiated its service to Islamabad, with its first flight receiving a water cannon salute upon arrival from Dushanbe. The flight SMR 129 arrived at 11:45 AM carrying 14 passengers and later departed with 52 passengers on board.
These developments reflect a broader trend of increased air connectivity and economic activity between Pakistan and Central Asian states, reinforcing Pakistan’s strategic role as a vital trade and transit hub in the region.