Flydubai, Dubai’s first low cost airline, has announced plans to start daily flights to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, starting from November 8.

Flydubai’s eighth destination, Khartoum, which sits at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, is a rapidly growing economy. Well known for its oil trade, the country also boasts growing printing, glass manufacturing, food processing and textile businesses.

At a distance of 1,600 miles from Dubai, the flight to Khartoum will be the longest in flydubai’s network, but the airline is keeping fares low with prices starting from Dh325 ($88.4) one way, which includes all taxes and one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg, said a top official.

The daily flight FZ631 will leave Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 6.45pm, arriving in Khartoum after 4 hours and 5 minutes at 9.50pm. The return flight, FZ632, will leave Khartoum at 10.35pm and arrive in Dubai the following day at 3.40am local time.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai believes that the airline is meeting the demand of another under-serviced route. 'Sudan is a country with a tremendous potential for economic development and financial growth. The country is working hard to ensure there are significant business opportunities which are attractive to businessmen in the UAE and further afield,' he noted.

'When you combine that with the existing demand from the many thousands of Sudanese resident in the UAE, it is easy to see why flydubai is excited about the prospects for this route,' he remarked.

“Flydubai is playing the role of a pioneer in the low cost sector and our goal is to make these significant, but under-represented destinations available, accessible and affordable. Our fares mean that people can experience the potential of Khartoum for themselves without laying out their own significant investment on travel,” he added.

Tickets are available for purchase on the website (flydubai.com), call centre and travel agents from 12 noon today (October 20).-TradeArabia News Service