Flydubai starts new service to Basra

Flydubai has added another Iraqi destination to its network, with four-times weekly flights to Basra scheduled to begin on August 8, 2012. Basra joins the capital, Baghdad, plus Najaf, Sulaimaniyah, and Erbil, swelling flydubai’s Iraqi route map to five points, one of the most comprehensive networks to Iraq in the region. Commenting on the rising prospects between the UAE and Iraq, which saw trade exchange between the two nations account for more than $4.5 billion in 2011, flydubai’s CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: “We identified Iraq as one of our principal markets in 2010 with the launch of services to Erbil and Sulaimaniyah. This is in line with our commitment to continually identify emerging and underserved destinations. We hope that our expanding network will further promote travel between the UAE and Iraq, not only for the business community but also for the thousands of Iraqi expatriates residing in the UAE.” Iraq’s ongoing reconstruction work and the development of sectors such as energy, construction, retail, and agriculture indicate that the main demand for the new route will be business traffic. Besides its commercial interests, Iraq is also home to a number of significant historical and religious sites. Basra is Iraq’s main port, helping shipping, logistics, and transport evolve into major industries. The oil and gas sector also maintains a significant presence in the city with most of Iraq’s oil exports being shipped from the Al Basrah Oil Terminal. Flydubai has a simple model where customers only pay for services they want to receive.  Once on board, travellers can choose from a range of optional extras including flydubai’s unrivalled entertainment system with packages priced from Dh10 or select from the varied menu of refreshments and Duty Free items. flydubai operates from Terminal 2 on the north side of Dubai International Airport. Flights to Basra will operate four times a week and will commence on August 8, 2012. FZ229 is scheduled to depart Dubai Terminal 2 at 0845hrs, landing in Basra International Airport at 0940hrs local time. The return flight, FZ230, departs at 1040hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1325hrs local time. Return fares from Dubai to Basra start at Dh2,205 ($600) and include one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg, one small laptop bag or handbag plus 20kg of checked baggage in each direction. A seat with extra legroom costs Dh100 ($28) extra.