flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, has received the prestigious Four-Star Major Airlines rating for the first time by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

Based on passenger feedback, the rating recognises flydubai’s strong business model in making travel accessible to new and previously underserved markets which has enabled its continued growth.

Representing the airline at the APEX Five Star & APEX Four Star Airline Awards 2024 in Long Beach, California, Daniel Kerrison, Senior Vice President of Inflight Operations at flydubai, said: “this recognition is a significant achievement for flydubai and demonstrates our agility and dedication to offering the right product at the right time.

“Since starting operations in 2009, we have been dedicated to enhancing customer experience and growing our fleet and network which has enabled us to go beyond the traditional boundaries of airline categories.”

“Whether they choose to travel in Business Class or Economy, passengers can experience exceptional comfort across our fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft along with hours of high-definition in-seat entertainment. As we continue to offer our customers convenient and reliable options for travel, this new rating by APEX reflects the growth trajectory we remain on as we support Dubai’s position as an international aviation hub,” added Kerrison.

The APEX Four Star Airline Awards are based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt from Concur, the world’s highest-rated travel-organising app.

Over the last 14 years, the carrier’s journey has been marked by several milestones including the introduction of its inflight entertainment in 2010 and the introduction of Business Class in 2013. In 2017, flydubai became the first airline to offer lie-flat Business Class seats on a Boeing 737 aircraft, before introducing its new Business Class recliner seats in 2021.

APEX CEO Dr Joe Leader stated: “in a league of their own, flydubai has impressively secured the 2024 APEX Four Star Major Airline rating. This distinction, influenced by over one million passengers spanning nearly 600 airlines, highlights flydubai’s dedication to continuously enhancing the passenger journey.

“As I have personally experienced, flydubai’s first-in-the-world lie-flat seats on the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft are an aviation marvel. Innovations at that level have been coupled with their state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system, thoughtfully designed cabin, and unwavering customer focus. On behalf of APEX, I salute flydubai for their consistent strides in elevating the best value in airline experience in every class of service.”

Since 2009, flydubai has been committed to enabling free flows in trade and tourism and opening up underserved markets. Today the carrier has created a growing network of 120 destinations in 53 countries served by a young and efficient fleet of 78 Boeing 737 aircraft.

Since the start of 2023, flydubai has expanded its network with the launch of flights to Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand as well as Milan-Bergamo in Italy. The carrier has recently announced the launch of operations to five new destinations including Cairo in Egypt on 28 October, Poznan in Poland on 29 October, Mombasa in Kenya from January 17, 2024 and Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia from February 10. – TradeArabia News Service