flydubai is expanding its cargo business with the launch of dedicated freighter operations, adding three Boeing 737-800 freighters to its network from 1 October 2026.
The aircraft will be introduced under a wet-lease agreement with Dubai-based cargo operator SolitAir and will be based at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). The move marks a significant expansion of flydubai’s cargo strategy, which has until now relied primarily on belly-hold capacity aboard its passenger fleet.
Each Boeing 737-800 freighter will provide up to 23,000kg of additional payload capacity per flight. The dedicated capacity will complement cargo carried in the belly holds of flydubai’s existing fleet of 98 Boeing 737 passenger aircraft.
The initial freighter operation is being introduced ahead of the fourth-quarter peak season, with flydubai planning to increase capacity as its cargo operation develops. The airline also has 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order and said it will evaluate the potential conversion of passenger aircraft into freighters from 2029.
flydubai will use DWC as its dedicated freighter hub, providing the cargo operation with dedicated airside infrastructure and multimodal connectivity through Dubai South.
The carrier said the freighter operation will support both scheduled freight services and ad-hoc charter flights across its network of more than 125 destinations. The network spans Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC and Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The introduction of main-deck capacity will also allow flydubai to target cargo segments requiring specialised handling. These include aerospace components, temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, express shipments and dangerous goods.
Initial freighter flights will focus on high-demand regional markets, with frequencies expected to increase as additional capacity becomes available. flydubai has not yet announced the specific initial freighter routes or schedules.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer of flydubai, said the freighter launch forms part of the airline’s broader diversification strategy and supports Dubai’s ambitions to strengthen its position as a global centre for trade, e-commerce and logistics.
“Dubai has established itself as one of the world’s most connected hubs for E-commerce, trade and logistics,” Al Ghaith said, adding that the dedicated freighter operation would create additional opportunities for businesses to access international markets.
The move also reflects changing requirements among cargo customers, according to Hamad Obaidalla, chief commercial officer at flydubai. He said commercial partners were increasingly seeking guaranteed main-deck capacity, flexible scheduling and specialised handling capabilities.
The dedicated freighters will allow flydubai Cargo to offer greater flexibility than passenger belly capacity alone, particularly for shipments that require additional volume, controlled handling or specific scheduling.
The airline said the expansion is intended to transition flydubai Cargo towards a broader logistics offering combining scheduled freight operations with charter services.
The new operation also strengthens the role of DWC in flydubai’s cargo strategy. The airport, located in Dubai South, provides access to the wider logistics infrastructure surrounding Al Maktoum International and the wider Dubai transport network.
For flydubai, the introduction of dedicated freighters represents a shift from using cargo primarily as a complement to its passenger network towards establishing a more comprehensive cargo operation with dedicated main-deck capacity.
The three-aircraft fleet will form the first phase of that expansion, with further growth expected as the airline takes delivery of its future widebody fleet and assesses passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029 onwards.
