flydubai, Dubai’s low cost airline, has announced that it will introduce flights to the Saudi city, Abha and Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, later this month, taking its network to 28 destinations. 

Flights from Dubai to Abha will begin on November 23, 2010 offering thrice weekly flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, until January 17, 2011 when flights will operate daily. Flight FZ811 will depart Dubai at 01:00hrs, arriving in Abha at 02:55hrs local time. The return flight FZ812 will take off for Dubai Terminal 2 at 03:40hrs, landing in Dubai at 07:15hrs UAE time. Flights to Abha will be priced starting at AED 450 per person, including one piece of hand luggage weighing 10 kg. Flights from Abha to Dubai will be priced starting at SAR460, with a 10kg piece of hand luggage included. 

The service to Ashgabat will commence on November 30, 2010 flying twice a week. Flight FZ731 will depart Dubai on a Tuesday at 08:10hrs arriving in Turkmenistan at 11:40hrs local time. Return flight FZ732 will depart on Tuesday at 12:25hrs, reaching Dubai Terminal 2 at 14:00hrs. FZ731 will leave Dubai on Friday at 11:50hrs, landing in Ashgabat at 15:20hrs. FZ732 will depart Ashgabat on Thursday at 16:05hrs and land in Dubai at 17:40hrs local time. Flights to Ashgabat will be priced starting at AED1, 025. Flights from Ashgabat to Dubai will be priced starting at USD285. 

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai said, “We are delighted to be able to announce the expansion of our route network to these two different but significant points. flydubai’s flights to Abha in the South West of Saudi Arabia will be the first direct flights from the city to the UAE and we are confident there will be a significant demand for this route. People travelling from Abha have had few direct international flights to choose from and the addition of this new flydubai service will ensure the time and cost taken to travel from Abha to the UAE and beyond will be significantly reduced. These flights also mark our introduction to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which we are excited about, and can now count flights to every country in the GCC in our network.”