Aviation

Flydubai in huge recruitment drive amid record profits

March 1, 2023, 3:06 PM

A total of 1,300 employees joined Flydubai last year, 80% of whom are cabin crew, engineers or pilots

Low-cost airline reports 43% rise in profits to $327m in 2022
Fleet increased by 17 aircraft and 16 new routes added

The biggest recruitment drive in the history of Flydubai is continuing as the low-cost airline looks to build on record profit growth in 2022.

A total of 1,300 employees joined Flydubai last year, 80 percent of whom are cabin crew, engineers or pilots, aided by the “desire of top talent to relocate to Dubai and the UAE”, the airline said in a statement.

CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said recruitment efforts are ongoing into this year to support further fleet and network growth. Last year 17 new aircraft were delivered, taking the fleet to 74, while 16 new routes were launched.

“Dubai continues to be one of the most desirable destinations for trade and tourism with a robust and growing economy, and a thriving aviation hub serving a growing population,” Al Ghaith said.

“Despite the ever-present headwinds that impact the aviation industry, our growth trajectory remains on track as we support Dubai’s position as a global leader in aviation.”

Flydubai reported profits of AED1.2 billion ($327 million) in 2022, an increase of 43 percent compared to the previous year.

Annual revenue reached $2.5 billion, up from $1.4 billion as a total of 10.6 million passengers were carried, an increase of 89 percent.

Aircraft, Airliner, Airplane — Flydubai has embarked on a retrofit programme across its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Picture: Flydubai

The carrier said it will continue to invest in new technologies this year while adding further routes.

The airline will also embark on a major retrofit programme across its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Al Ghaith described 2022 as an “exceptional year”, with accelerated demand bookended by the final few months of Expo 2020 and the efforts to support travel to and from the World Cup in Doha.

Flydubai positioned six aircraft at Dubai World Central and operated 1,290 shuttle flights to Doha International Airport during the tournament, flying more than 133,000 football fans.

“Navigating through challenging times characterised by continued fluctuating fuel prices, disruption to supply chains, rising global inflation and geopolitical unrest did not dampen our strong performance last year,” Al Ghaith said.