Flydubai is expanding its European reach this winter with new direct services to Riga, Salzburg, and Vilnius.
Starting in mid-December, the carrier will operate three weekly flights to each city from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB).
Flights to Riga International Airport (RIX) begin on 11 December, with service operating on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The following day, 12 December, the airline will launch routes to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Airport (SZG) and Vilnius International Airport (VNO), both scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
These new routes are part of a broader network growth strategy following recent launches in Aleppo, Bangkok, Benghazi, and Pokhara. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, stated: Our direct services to Riga, Salzburg and Vilnius further enhance the breadth and diversity of our European network and reflect our long-term commitment to serving key markets across the region.
Did You Know? The new flights to Salzburg provide a direct link to the Ski Amadé region, allowing passengers to combine city breaks in the Baroque city center with access to Austrian ski slopes.
The service operates under a codeshare partnership with Emirates, allowing passengers to book single tickets with baggage checked through to final destinations. Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, noted: With their spectacular scenery, historic architecture and festive traditions, Riga, Salzburg and Vilnius offer plenty of opportunities for our customers to enjoy a memorable winter getaway from December.
Travelers on these routes will fly on Boeing 737 aircraft featuring lie-flat seats in Business Class and ergonomically designed seats in Economy. The airline is also currently rolling out Starlink across its fleet to provide complimentary high-speed WiFi for passengers.
By timing these launches for the winter holiday season, the airline is enhancing connectivity to European cultural and leisure destinations. The ability to link these capitals to the carrier’s wider network—including destinations like the Maldives and Zanzibar—reflects a strategy to connect Dubai and beyond with these cultural capitals.
The airline continues to adjust its schedule, with recent announcements confirming the resumption of nonstop flights to Skopje, North Macedonia, effective 01 April 2027. While these three European routes are set for December, the airline’s long-term focus remains on connecting underserved markets to its hub in Dubai.
Each destination is served by three weekly flights. Riga flights operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while flights to Salzburg and Vilnius operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Yes, the services operate out of Terminal 3 at Dubai International under a codeshare partnership with Emirates. This allows for single-ticket bookings and through-checked baggage to over 120 destinations in the joint network.
Return Economy Lite fares from Dubai start at AED 2,442 for Riga, AED 2,699 for Salzburg, and AED 3,112 for Vilnius. Business Class fares vary by destination, starting at AED 10,012 for Riga, AED 13,175 for Salzburg, and AED 10,301 for Vilnius.
With these new routes entering the market in December, how will the increased connectivity influence travel between the UAE and these European capitals?
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