Route Analysis: Dubai-Minsk

Flydubai will this month launch flights to Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The LCC will operate three flights a week between Dubai International (DXB) and Minsk National Airport (MSQ) from Feb. 20, becoming the first Dubai-based carrier to offer direct flights on this route.

Flights will depart DXB at 6.50 p.m., arriving in MSQ at 11.50 p.m. The return flight leaves at 12.50 a.m. and arrives back in DXB at 7.45 a.m.

With the addition of MSQ, flydubai will grow its network to more than 70 destinations. The airline has been steadily increasing its operations in recent months, including the launch of new routes Grozny (GRV), Malta (MLA), Salzburg (SZG) and Tel Aviv (TLV).

DXB-MSQ

“Minsk is a new destination to join our network and highlights our commitment to open previously underserved markets,” flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said. “We now operate flights to 72 destinations, more than 40 of which did not previously have direct air links to Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier from Dubai.”

According to Sabre Market Intelligence data, O&D traffic between Dubai and Minsk totaled 10,834 two-way passengers in 2019, compared with 12,355 in 2018. In the absence of nonstop service between the destinations, Moscow (SVO) was the biggest one-stop connecting market, followed by Istanbul (IST).

Etihad Airways previously provided the only direct link between the United Arab Emirates and Belarus, flying 3X-weekly between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and MSQ. However, the route was suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis and has yet to resume.

Photo credit: flydubai via Facebook