High Energy

Yep, billateral agreements between Dubai-Kazakhstan dictate that if Ek/Flydubai want to operate to Kazakhstan then Air Astana has to be allowed to Dubai as well.

yuck

It's not difficult to guess where Flydubai is going to fly.... just check Air Arabia destinations. Most of the "new" destinations that we fly to are already flown by them!

The Flydubai office staff does obviously a very hard work to find new places to fly to...

High Energy

For what it's worth. We probably won't be on time anyway and someone else will get the PR exposure.

New airport opening

After a series of delays, Qatar’s new state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport will begin passenger operations for 10 low-cost airlines on Wednesday, April 30.

The airport’s first commercial flight – expected to be a Fly Dubai service – is due to land at 11:15am on Wednesday.

High Energy

Flights to Aden (South Yemen) and Kandahar to be launched.
Link

Aden is exactly like Matalla procedural wise but with crappy ATC.

dogsbreath

Just to put the facts in context. The A scalers as they are known were the 30 original Captains who signed up with Fly Dubai, when the airline didn't even exist as such, they made a commitment to a paper airline, and many of them were instrumental in writing the original flying manuals and securing the first AOC. They made a leap of faith, and as such the company has seen fit to leave them on their original pay scale. I was one of the original 30, and left to pastures new, not greener, just new. Worst decision I have made in aviation, worse even than turning down the then Chief Pilot, Mike Keene, for a job at a little start up airline in Luton, owned by some Greek Playboy !!!

MrCarlosDanger

Come back then.

Old King Coal

MrCarlosDanger: wrt 'Come back then.'

It would probably be true to say that (to my knowledge & memory, which is capacious), of those whom have left, only one has ever returned. It would seem to be the case that, once one 'resigns' (be that either voluntarily, or else wise ), one will never be welcomed back, and therein a resignation from FZ should be considered as very much a burning of ones bridges!

MrCarlosDanger

Perhaps if you taxi across an active runway without permission (after being told by the FO to stop) that results in a 747 aborting...or perhaps tear an airplane apart while airborne to rearrange radio boxes you will not be given an invitation to return. Are you aware of anyone else who inquired about coming back and in turn denied? I think each case is reviewed on it's own merits. So if the guy wants to come back just ask...worst case they say no. I do tend to believe however, if you poke someone in the eye on the way out forget about it.

Old King Coal

Carlos, in answer to your question, I know of at least one whom requested a return to the flock, but rather than giving him an outright denial he was told to attend the whole CTC thing again, which to me, at least, seems a tadge over zealous.

Ah well, must dash, my KoolAid's getting warm.

Ps. any sign of the ever promised increase in the T&C's ?!

olster

Yes Carlos , those were exciting days : the taxi route from 30L changed forever after the first 'incident' .

Voodoo 3

Habibi King,

I always thought of you as our man in the know. We're waiting for you to tell us!!

LostinT2DXB

I know of three that wanted to return. One was allowed to return, but his seniority was adjusted to his return date. The others must be the one OKC mentioned, plus one other that never had his emails/phone calls returned.

Iver

Not sure if this has already been posted, but it's nice to see that you will be adding two lovely destinations to your list (more flights to Yemen and Afghanistan should raise your blood pressure).

FYI - not passing judgment, but I found this blurb on Wikipedia about Kandahar:


By 2011, Kandahar became known as the assassination city of Afghanistan after witnessing many target killings. In July Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of President Hamid Karzai, was shot by his longtime head of security. Soon after the Quetta Shura of the Taliban claimed responsibility. The next day an Islamic cleric (mulla) of the famous Red Mosque in the Shahr-e Naw area of the city and a number of other people were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who had hidden explosives inside his turban. On 27 July 2011, the mayor of the city, Ghulam Haider Hamidi, was assassinated by another Taliban militant who had hidden explosives in his turban. Two deputy mayors had been killed in 2010,[31] while many tribal elders and Islamic clerics have also been assassinated in the last several years. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy network is often blamed as the masterminds behind the Taliban-led insurgency.[32][4] This form of terrorism is the idea of ISI to defend its sovereignty. The ISI is using the insurgents in the name of Islamic jihad to counter the growing influence of its rival India in Afghanistan and the Afghan claim regarding the disputedDurand Line border.[33] The overwhelming majority of the victims in the attacks are ordinary Afghan civilians.[34] On 6 June 2012, at least 21 civilians were killed and 50 others injured when two Taliban suicide bombers on motorcycles blew themselves up in a market area near Kandahar International Airport. Referring to them as the "agents of Punjab", ANA provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul Razaq stated that the Taliban "have once again spilled the blood of innocent civilians."[35]


Here is Flydubai's press release:


Flydubai (Dubai) has announced that it will launch a three times weekly service to Aden and a twice weekly service to Kandahar, starting on August 1 and July 25, 2014 respectively. These new route launches bring the airline’s network to 68 destinations.

Flydubai will become the first UAE-based carrier to fly directly to both Aden in Yemen and Kandahar in Afghanistan. The airline first began operations to Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, in 2012 and Kabul, the Afghan capital, in 2010.


Aden is the commercial capital of Yemen and its deep and naturally protected seaport remains a key driver of the country’s economy. Due to its strategic geographic location, Aden Free Zone has established itself as a regional logistics and manufacturing hub which has helped strengthen economic and social development in the seaport city.


Flydubai will operate three flights per week to Aden, one of which will be via Djibouti. This new service will increase flights to Djibouti to six a week. In addition, flights are available for sale between Aden and Djibouti. Located in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar is the capital of Kandahar Province with an estimated population of 500,000. The city is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, grains and fresh and dried fruit.

Old King Coal

Iver: I'll bet Terry Taliban and his Al-Qaeda chums can't believe their luck, what with now (almost) direct flights between Afghanistan (Taliban & Al-Qaeda) and Yemen (Ansar al-Shari'a, aka Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; and Islamic Jihad of Yemen) and thereon into East Africa (Yemen's Al-Shabaab) and, who knows, maybe even further westwards (to join up with their pals in Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Boko Haram, etc).

I suppose the only thing better would be direct flights, therein avoiding the temptations of fleshpot Dubai; though, that said, it might be handy for, both figuratively & literally speaking, a 'last minute layover' - what with all those comely maidens & wide-eyed houris whom frequent the various sherbet stands throughout the city - before martyring oneself on the Jihad ?!

High Energy

We now fly to Sana'a a few times a day but that used to be worse then Aden. We used to have to call into Sana's 20 minutes prior to our ETA and ask if the airport was safe. Ie no terrorists overrunning the airport. If it was safe you could continue if no you had to hold enroute. Divertion was to Aden. I never had any issues operating into Aden but I know it's story with regards to Al-Qaeda.

WRT the new Doha. We did our usual duties and arrived in style...40 minutes late.

08pm: HIA has seen its first plane land - the Flydubai flight was 40 minutes late but every one cheered all the same - the press conference has been held and the airport is now an operating facility

olster

very succinctly put as usual OKC - a 'Cook's tour ' of global ' hotspots' now available on FZ . Of course the usual robust risk analysis will have taken place ...

dogsbreath

Again, I'm not sure you are aware of all the facts as regards the runway incursion, fault, if you can call it that, was levelled at ATC as much as the Captain, ATC instruction was to "follow your buddy" which the Captain did. The incident was never filed by the way. The FO only asked whether the aircraft had had permission to cross, he did not tell the Captain to stop. If you want to discuss it further please private message me. Old king, nice to hear from you as always, keep the faith, I miss you all.

dogsbreath

To all at flydubai, every airline in every country has it's faults, they are businesses not charities. I have flown for enough companies to know which are good and bad, FZ is good believe me, compared to say Globespan or Astraeus. And remember, in the UAE you are not giving 50% of everything you earn to subsidise every waster and scrounger in Eastern Europe on UK benefits. THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER. Bitter experience has taught me that. I'd come back tomorrow if they would have me.

Calmcavok

Not intending to turn this into a political debate, but I think it's your fellow countrymen & women who are the wasters and scroungers. The Eastern Europeans seem relatively hard working!

pole shift

These political discussions are cool!
Looking back a few years throughout the Middle East there have been terrorist attacks almost everywhere except....guess where! The UAE! Ever considered from where all these nice groups OKC is referring to, are sourced? Hmmm...
I would think we are safe to fly even to Mogadishu, a UAE registered aircraft is not to be troubled...