Flydubai Reboots Baltic Plans, Adds Moldova And Romania Routes

LCC flydubai has confirmed new launch dates for its first routes to the Baltics after aircraft delays forced the Dubai-based carrier to shelve its earlier plans.

Flights to Riga, Latvia, and Vilnius, Lithuania, will now begin in December 2025—marking the airline’s entry into the Baltic region—while new services to Chișinău, Moldova, and Iași, Romania, will start in September.

“We have built a diverse network of more than 135 destinations—75% of which are underserved routes from Dubai,” CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith says. “With our new services to Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, we look forward to strengthening the UAE’s trade and cultural links and supporting Dubai’s position as an international aviation hub.”

The carrier initially planned to launch service to Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn, Estonia, in October 2024, but was forced to postpone due to aircraft delivery delays. At the time, flydubai criticized Boeing’s “short-noticed and frequent delivery schedule revisions,” stating they had disrupted its growth strategy.

The airline received only four 737-8 aircraft in 2024, all from a previous backlog, falling well short of the 14 deliveries it had originally anticipated for the year.

Service to Vilnius International Airport will be the first of flydubai’s two new Baltic routes to launch, beginning on Dec. 11, followed by Riga International Airport on Dec. 12. Both routes will operate three times per week.

The LCC will compete directly with airBaltic, which operates year-round flights between Dubai and Riga, as well as a seasonal winter service from Vilnius. Currently, the airBaltic routes are the sole nonstop flights between the Baltic region and the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, flydubai will launch service to Chișinău International Airport on Sept. 17, followed by Iași International Airport on Sept. 19. Both routes will operate twice a week.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Fly One currently serves Chișinău-Dubai twice a week, while Wizz Air Abu Dhabi offers flights to Moldova’s capital from Abu Dhabi. The Iași-Dubai market in unserved.