THE Middle East welcomed a new era in budget travel in June when the first ever commercial flight of flydubai, Dubai’s first low-cost airline, landed at Rafic Hariri International Airport, Beirut.
The service signifies an opening of the skies for low-cost travel between Lebanon and the UAE, allowing thousands of expatriates, tourists and business people more accessible to an affordable travel option.
The low-cost airline chose Lebanon as its first destination because of the strong personal, business and trade relationships between the two countries, which makes the route one of the busiest in the region.
At the launch UAE minister of Economy Sultan Saeed Al Mansoori highlighted the special relationship between the UAE and Lebanon saying, 'There is a real bond between us. The people of Lebanon and the Emirates are very similar in their outlook on life. This is one of the reasons we enjoy each other’s nations so much, as friends and as visitors.'
'We want to give our UAE customers the chance to experience the uniqueness of Lebanon, and to offer the opportunity to the Lebanese people to visit us in the UAE. We are very different places, but very similar people,' he added.
flydubai is geared towards providing passengers with the best price and increased choice. Each fare is inclusive of seat price, all taxes and a generous hand baggage allowance of 10 kg, which is unmatched in the region. In addition, passengers will only have to pay for the optional extras they choose, such as checked bags of up to 32 kg each, seat selection and any required food and beverages.
With flydubai’s one way fare from Beirut to Dubai costing from $100, it is expected the trip to Dubai will be popular to visit the Emirates’ attractions or to visit family and friends. And at prices from $69 one way from Dubai to Beirut, it is also a great opportunity for the nearly 200,000 Lebanese expatriates in the UAE to travel home.