Flydubai expands cargo network with Kazakhstan-UAE flights. Kazakhstan News 16 September 2026 15:42 (UTC +04:00) Alyona pavlenko. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. UAE's Flydubai plans to launch cargo flights between Almaty and Dubai from October 2, 2026. This was announced in a statement published by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport. According to the Ministry, the flights on the Almaty-Dubai-Almaty route will operate once a week using Boeing 737 aircraft and will carry import and export cargo between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. The launch of cargo flights is expected to expand opportunities for trade and economic ties between the two countries and provide additional logistics options for Kazakh businesses. "The development of air cargo transportation is one of Kazakhstan's priorities in strengthening its transport and logistics potential, increasing its transit attractiveness and further developing aviation hubs in the country", the Ministry of Transport said. According to the country's Bureau of National Statistics, Kazakhstan's transport sector carried 625.7 million tons of cargo in the period from January through August 2026, up 0.6% from the same period in 2025. Cargo turnover increased 0.8% year-on-year to 342.6 billion ton-kilometers. The physical volume index for transport and warehousing services reached 107.3% in January-August 2026 compared with the same period last year. Railways accounted for 218.8 million tons of cargo, down 1.8% year-on-year. At the same time, rail cargo turnover increased 1.7% to 194.4 billion ton-kilometers. Road transport saw cargo volumes increase 5.2%, while road cargo turnover grew 6.8% year-on-year. Pipeline transport carried 170.3 million tons of cargo, down 2.3% from January-August 2025. Its cargo turnover decreased 2.4% to 114.6 billion ton-kilometers. Inland waterway transport carried 193,500 tons of cargo, 1.5 times more than in the same period last year. Maritime and coastal transport handled 2.77 million tons of cargo, up 11.3% year-on-year. Cargo turnover increased 22.3% to 1.41 billion ton-kilometers.

Siddhartha Butalia joins flydubai as svp-corp Brand, Marketing & comms. Prior to this, Butalia spent two decades with the Tata Group, with his last role as Chief Marketing Officer at Air India Express and AirAsia India. Siddhartha Butalia has joined flydubai as Senior Vice President - Corporate Brand, Marketing & Communications, moving to the Dubai-based airline after two decades with the Tata Group, where he last served as Chief Marketing Officer at Air India Express and AirAsia India since 2019. Butalia started his new role at flydubai this month, where he will be required to provide strategic leadership and direction across all aspects of marketing, public relations, internal communications, and brand management. According to an earlier post by the airline on LinkedIn, the role is responsible for enhancing the airline's reputation, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and aligning communications with broader corporate growth objectives and geopolitical considerations to strategically manage reputation, policy influence, and thought leadership. He joins flydubai with extensive experience across brand, marketing, communications and corporate affairs with the Tata Group, where he served as a TAS Officer leading brands in Europe and India, including Tetley, the Taj Group of hotels, AirAsia and Air India Express. During his tenure, he was part of the airline's leadership team as it underwent a significant transformation following the Tata Group's privatisation and consolidation of its aviation businesses. At Air India Express, Butalia helped revamp the airline's brand and drive loyalty and communications as it expanded its network and sharpened its positioning within the Tata Group's aviation portfolio. In his new role, Butalia will oversee flydubai's corporate brand, marketing and communications functions globally, as the airline continues to expand its network to more than 125 destinations in 56 countries across Africa, Asia, the GCC and the Middle East, and Europe. Butalia's appointment comes as airlines across the region continue to invest in brand building and customer engagement alongside network expansion, with corporate communications playing an increasingly important role in shaping airline reputation and differentiation. Flydubai has reported the next phase of its growth strategy, expanding its fleet beyond 100 aircraft and launching a new cabin retrofit programme with lie-flat Business Class seats. The airline will take delivery of 11 additional aircraft in 2026, with significantly greater capacity to follow soon, including 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, followed by 150 Airbus A321neos from 2031.

flydubai enters new growth chapter with larger fleet and upgraded cabins. 2 minutes ago Main Highlights * flydubai will grow its fleet to over 100 aircraft in 2026, marking a major milestone for capacity and network expansion. * The carrier will receive 11 Boeing 737 MAX jets in 2026, including seven 737-9 MAX and four 737-8 MAX deliveries. * Starting September, 21 aircraft will be retrofitted with lie-flat Business Class seats and larger Space Bins to boost comfort and storage. * The 737-9 MAX will feature 16 Business and 156 Economy seats, enabling more premium capacity on major international routes. * Investments extend beyond cabins to technology, training, engineering and operations to support sustainable growth and a younger, fuel efficient fleet. Dubai-based flydubai will grow its fleet to over 100 aircraft in 2026 and will roll out major cabin upgrades on a select number of Boeing 737 MAX jets. The airline will receive 11 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the year, which will increase its capacity as it expands its network. It will also roll out a retrofit programme in September, which will see the introduction of lie-flat Business Class seats and bigger overhead storage bins on some of its aircraft. The growth is a significant milestone for flydubai since its fleet has exceeded 100 aircraft. The deliveries will include seven Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft and four Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, which will be used to modernise the carrier fleet in the long term. Fleet growth. The new aircraft will substitute the old jets and provide flydubai with more flexibility to add capacity on routes with high demand and increase its network. The airline indicated that the next-generation aircraft will also help it sustain its emphasis on having a younger and more fuel-efficient fleet. The Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft entering the fleet will have 16 Business Class seats and 156 Economy Class seats, as opposed to 10 Business Class seats on some of flydubai's Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft. The extra premium seating will enable the airline to meet the demand for Business Class travel on major international routes and offer more flexibility in the capacity allocation among the current flight frequencies. Ghaith Al Ghaith, the Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said that reaching the 100-aircraft milestone was a major milestone for the airline. He indicated that the new deliveries would give the carrier more capacity and flexibility to accommodate its growing operations. He also emphasized that flydubai has continued to invest in its current fleet, and the retrofit programme is to enhance the passenger experience as well as the introduction of new aircraft. Cabin upgrades. Starting in September, flydubai will refit 21 planes in the next 12 months. The planes now have recliner-style Business Class seats and will be refurbished with the airline-famous lie-flat Business Class seats. The retrofit programme will also see the introduction of the larger Space Bins by Boeing, which will enhance the overhead storage capacity. The bins have the capacity to hold up to six standard-sized bags, as opposed to four in a typical overhead bin. The extra storage space will also give the passengers more space to carry cabin baggage and will assist in streamlining the boarding process as passengers pack their luggage. The programme is based on the earlier multimillion-dollar investment by flydubai in the renovation of its Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 fleet. The previous programme featured lie-flat Business Class seats, new Economy Class seats and inflight entertainment systems. Wider investment. The most recent cabin upgrades are a subset of the overall flydubai investment in onboard product and operational capabilities. The airline is also investing in technology, training and engineering infrastructure in addition to aircraft and cabin upgrades as it gears up for further expansion. With the delivery of 11 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft during 2026, flydubai's fleet will move beyond the 100-aircraft mark. In the meantime, the 21-aircraft retrofit programme will progressively roll out modernized Business Class seats and increased overhead storage on its existing MAX fleet. A goal-oriented business and finance journalist focused on the Pakistani economy, stock market trends and corporate news. He has a keen interest in the Pakistan Stock Exchange and provides up-to-date news, market analysis and data-driven insights. He translates intricate financial trends for a wider audience while ensuring accuracy and reliability in rapidly evolving news cycles. Reach out for A.J at [email protected] Your trusted source for accurate and timely updates! Its commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned KSE the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.