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Dubai’s First Budget Airline Set to Fly by Mid-year

DUBAI - Dubai’s first low-cost airline – flydubai — is pressing ahead with plans to launch in the middle of this year and in spite of stiff economic headwinds.

The fledgling carrier has finished hiring pilots and cabin crew to operate its initial fleet of single aisle Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Flydubai says it has received more than 8,000 applications for 79 pilot positions, a likely sign of layoffs of flight crew at other airlines during the worsening global recession.

As late as a year ago, pilots were in short supply at airlines worldwide. However, the economic downturn has squeezed passenger demand, particularly for high-yielding first-class and business-class seats, and carriers in many markets have reduced their flights and taken aircraft out of service.

However, flydubai sees commercial opportunity in catering to budget-minded members of Dubai’s mostly expatriate population. It plans to fly to destinations with a flying time of 4.5 hours.

“Low cost travel has universal appeal. Low fares free people to travel more frequently and to connect with their friends and family,” the airline said Thursday in an emailed response to a reporter’s questions.

Flydubai would be the second budget airline to operate in the UAE. Air Arabia, headquartered in neighbouring Sharjah, began flying in 2003. Dubai is already home to full-service Emirates Airline. “We will offer a service that is a little less complex, a little less stressful and certainly a little less expensive,” Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said in an earlier statement.

Flydubai declined to say exactly when it expects to start flying or where it plans to fly. It said it would announce details of its service “shortly.” Together with the deluge of pilots seeking jobs,the airline said it has received 3,500 applications for 80 cabin crew positions. The first group of cabin crew and pilots are now undergoing training.

· business@khaleejtimes.com