Summary flydubai has started flying to Basel. While the new route ranks first to Europe by distance, it is second by maximum block time. When close partner Emirates is included, the pair have up to five daily Switzerland services.
On August 2, flydubai began what is for now its longest European route. It is from Dubai – where else? – to Basel. The airport is officially called EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg – what a mouthful – due to its highly unusual geographic position.
The Swiss and the French run it, and it is one of the few airports run by two countries. Strangely, the new route’s celebration did not take place for five days after the first flight, hence only appearing in passing in my jam-packed weekly new routes article . Hello, Dubai to Basel! At 2,619 nautical miles (4,851 km) each way, the new route about passes the distance threshold I use to denote long-haul.
But do not fret: the operating 174-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8 is equipped with 10 lie-flat beds. That provides a reminder, if needed, that the airline is not a low-cost carrier. The new route, operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, is currently scheduled as follows, with all times local.
Notice the 7h 10m maximum block or scheduled time to Europe. Dubai to Basel : FZ1425, 07:25-12:35 (7h 10m) Basel to Dubai : FZ1426, 13:35-22:05 (6h 30m) Want tickets? Get them here! It is flydubai's first time in Switzerland. It joins Emirates' double daily flights to Zurich (A380 and 777-300ER) and Geneva (777-300ER).
Connects to/from Emirates Basel flights go from Dubai's Terminal 3, which is good as it means easy onward connectivity to Emirates flights. Of course, the route would not exist without this connectivity. In 2023, the Basel-Dubai point-to-point market only had around 12,000 roundtrip passengers (15 passengers daily each way), although it will easily double.
Basel flights leave Dubai during its big sibling's main bank of Europe-bound departures to drive connectivity. However, its 22:05 arrival time in the UAE is a bit early, with most Emirates flights landing from 23:00. Still, Basel has not had a connection option in the Gulf until now.
Many Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Eastern/Southern African passengers connected in Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. The carrier serves Basel double daily. Pegasus and Lufthansa were also important transit operators.
How many of them can you name? flydubai's new longest European route As of August 8, the carrier's five longest European services by distance are as follows. As you can see, Basel ranks first. However, when maximum block time is considered, it is second behind Tallinn.
Nautical miles (km) Maximum block time (August-October only) Route 2,619 (4,851) 7h 10m Dubai to Basel 2,505 (4,640) 6h 55m Dubai to Bergamo 2,461 (4,558) 6h 55m Dubai to Olbia 2,451 (4,539) 7h 00m Dubai to Pisa 2,332 (4,320) 7h 15m Dubai to Tallinn When all of flydubai's routes are considered, Basel is the fourth-longest non-stop service by distance, behind Penang (which continues to Langkawi), Krabi, and U-Tapao (Pattaya)..
