flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, today celebrated its inaugural service to Olbia, becoming the first UAE carrier to operate direct flights from Dubai. This marks the start of the carrier’s three-times weekly service to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) as part of its seasonal operations, growing its network in Italy to five points including Catania, Milan-Bergamo, Naples and Pisa.

The inaugural flight landed at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) to a water cannon salute and warm welcome by airport officials.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are committed to opening up underserved destinations and we are excited to offer our customers more options for travel during the summer with the launch of flights to Olbia in Sardinia. Since 2018, when we first started operations to the region, Italy has been a popular destination for customers from the UAE and GCC and we look forward to offering more options for travel as flydubai enters another record-breaking summer.”

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Chief Executive Officer of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, Silvio Pippobello, the tourism board in Sardinia and other key stakeholders for their support and look forward to enhancing connectivity between the UAE and Italy,” added Al Ghaith. ​

Silvio Pippobello, Chief Executive Officer of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, said: “thanks to flydubai’s extensive network, today’s inaugurated connection significantly enhances the connectivity of the island for the benefit of the region and the local population, while also providing a crucial opportunity for our tourist destination to officially open up to the global market. Starting from today, in fact, Sardinia can be easily reached with just one stop from every corner of the planet. We thank the airline for believing in our destination, the region of Sardinia for the valuable support, the Sardinian airports that have collaborated in achieving this milestone, and all the stakeholders who are working to make this flight a success.”

Commenting on the launch of flights, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “with the launch of flights to our fifth destination in Italy, we look forward to offering more convenient and reliable options for passengers travelling between Dubai and Olbia. Our flights will be operated by our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft where passengers can enjoy a comfortable travel experience, whether they choose to travel in Business Class or Economy Class.” ​ ​

Olbia joins flydubai’s network of seasonal summer destinations which include Batumi, Bodrum, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Santorini, Tivat and Trabzon.

The carrier’s 737 MAX aircraft feature Business Class seats that provide exceptional comfort. Passengers can also enjoy an enhanced travel experience with internationally inspired menus and hours of immersive inflight entertainment. Economy Class offers new seats which are designed to optimise space and comfort so that passengers can sit back, relax and enjoy their flight.

Flight details
Flights between Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB) and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 22 June 2023 to 30 September 2023.

Return Business Class fares from DXB to OLB start from AED 11,725 and Economy Class Lite fares start from AED 3,000. Return Business Class fares from OLB to DXB start from EUR 2,900 and Economy Class Lite fares start from EUR 550.