Historic First: Direct Flights Between UAE and Latvia

Flydubai launches its first direct route from UAE to Latvia.

The Emirati airline inaugurated a historic route to Riga, Latvia's capital, with three weekly flights operating between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Riga International Airport (RIX).

The first flight was celebrated with a festive event at Riga Airport, marking a significant reinforcement of relations between the countries, particularly as there had never been a direct flight route between them before. This initiative is expected to boost mutual tourism, deepen economic ties between Latvia and the UAE, and provide Latvian passengers with easier access to Dubai's global connectivity hub.

Riga. Photo: Shutterstock

Flydubai pilots at the historic landing. Photo: flydubai

Flights to Riga depart Dubai (FZ1441) on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 16:55, landing at 22:20; flights from Riga (FZ1442) take off at 23:20 and land in Dubai at 08:15 the next day. Round-trip ticket prices start at 360 EUR for economy class and 1,440 EUR for business class.

The new route operates within the cooperation between Flydubai and Emirates, allowing for joint ticket purchases, direct baggage check-in, and access to a network of over 240 destinations worldwide.

In addition to launching the route to Riga, the company also introduced a direct route to Vilnius (Lithuania) this month, bringing its European destinations to 35 across 20 countries.

Flydubai's inaugural landing in Riga, Latvia. Photo: flydubai

"This day marks a new phase in the friendship between the UAE and the Republic of Latvia," noted Noura Juma, UAE Ambassador to Latvia, stating: "The launch of Flydubai's direct flight route between Dubai and Riga not only strengthens connectivity between the countries but also opens the door to new opportunities in tourism, business, and cultural exchanges."

"The launch of the new service to Riga reinforces Flydubai's growing presence in Europe and supports our strategic commitment to expanding connectivity to less accessible markets," added Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at Flydubai, concluding: "Latvia is an exciting and dynamic market, and we are pleased to offer passengers a convenient direct route between Dubai and Riga. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to investing in our aircraft fleet, services, and flight products to ensure an enhanced travel experience for our customers."

Notably, Flydubai continued flying to Israel throughout the conflict and was one of the most active foreign airlines, currently operating a winter schedule with 10 daily flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai.