flydubai reaches 50 destinations; will serve Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan with two weekly flights from next month

Despite being less than three years old, flydubai has already reached the significant milestone of announcing its 50th destination. And true to its pioneering approach to network development it has selected Bishkek in the Kyrgyz Republic (also known as Kyrgyzstan), which it will begin serving twice-weekly with a 737-800 from 7 February. This will increase flydubai’s presence to 28 countries. The service will depart Dubai on Tuesdays and Fridays at 22:55 arriving at Bishkek International Airport at 05:00 local time. Return flights are on Wednesdays and Saturdays departing Bishkek at 06:20 and arriving back in Dubai at 08:45.

According to the airline, the Kyrgyz Republic has opened its economy to foreign investment in key industries including metallurgy and is developing its tourism potential. Beauty spots such as Issyk Kul Lake are growing into popular tourist destinations while trekking and camping trails as well as skiing bases are developing all over the country, drawing in travellers locally, regionally and internationally. The Kyrgyz Republic has a growing presence in the UAE thanks to a 3,000-strong expatriate population.

Bishkek International Airport

Bishkek’s airport, known as Manas International Airport, was built in the early 1970s. Its IATA code of FRU dates back to when the country was part of the Soviet Union and Bishkek was known as Frunze. According to OAG data, the airport has scheduled flights to Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Notable services include daily flights to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, and three times weekly flights to London (via Baku) with bmi British Midland.

What they said

flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: “We are proud to launch our latest services, bringing our destinations in the former Soviet Union to 12. It is also a significant milestone for us as the 50^th destination we have announced – quite an achievement since our first flight in June 2009. We have already launched operations to a number of cities in Central Asia and we believe Bishkek will be just as well received. We are confident it will prove popular with people seeking alternative travel destinations, as well as offering people in the Kyrgyz Republic a gateway to the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent and Africa through the flydubai network.”