Summary
Dubai-based flydubai is entering another interesting period of expansion, with its fleet passing 100 aircraft, a network stretching to more than 125 destinations and major investment planned for its passenger cabins.
But an interesting development is happening away from the passenger terminals.
From October, flydubai will have its own dedicated freighter operation for the first time, using three Boeing 737-800 freighters based at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport.
And don’t necessarily go looking for aircraft painted in the familiar flydubai colours.
The initial freighters are being provided by fellow Dubai-based carrier SolitAir under a wet-lease arrangement and are expected to retain their SolitAir identity.
Here’s what we know about flydubai’s latest expansion – and what plane spotters should be looking out for.
flydubai Launches Dedicated Cargo Flights
flydubai will begin dedicated freighter operations on 1 October 2026, marking an important change in the airline’s business model.
Until now, flydubai Cargo has primarily made use of the belly holds of the airline’s passenger Boeing 737 fleet.
That already gives the airline considerable reach. Cargo can be carried alongside passengers across flydubai’s extensive network from Dubai, including destinations across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Now, however, flydubai is adding dedicated main-deck freighter capacity.
Three Boeing 737-800 freighters will initially be used, each offering around 23 tonnes (23,000kg) of payload capacity per flight.
The aircraft will be based at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) rather than flydubai’s main passenger hub at Dubai International.
But They Won’t Actually Be flydubai Aircraft
There’s an important detail for enthusiasts hoping to photograph the new operation. The three Boeing 737-800 freighters are being introduced through a wet-lease agreement with SolitAir.
SolitAir is itself based at Dubai World Central and operates a small fleet of converted Boeing 737-800 freighters.
Under a wet lease, the aircraft and associated operating elements are provided by the lessor rather than simply handing the aeroplane over to flydubai. So, at least initially, this is not a case of three flydubai passenger 737s being converted and repainted as freighters.
Which Boeing 737 Freighters Should Spotters Look For?
SolitAir’s fleet is made up of converted Boeing 737-800 freighters, with several aircraft already carrying UAE registrations and its distinctive dark blue and turquoise colours.
Current examples include:
A6-SHA – Boeing 737-8FE(BDSF)
A6-SHB – Boeing 737-8FE(BDSF)
A6-SHC – Boeing 737-8AS(BCF)
A6-SHO – Boeing 737-8BK(BCF)
The first three are particularly well established in the SolitAir fleet, although flydubai has not publicly identified the registrations of the three individual aircraft which will be assigned to its wet-lease operation.
So it would be premature to say that A6-SHA, A6-SHB and A6-SHC will definitely be the trio flying for flydubai.
SolitAir’s current fleet records show three 737-800s in service and two parked as of early September, with the airline having been building up its converted freighter fleet.
A6-SHA and A6-SHB have recently been flying cargo sectors from DWC to destinations including Nairobi and Karachi, demonstrating the kind of regional operation for which the aircraft are well suited.
Where Could the flydubai Freighters Fly?
flydubai has not yet published a simple fixed timetable of freighter routes comparable to its passenger schedule.
Instead, the airline says the aircraft will support both scheduled freight operations and ad-hoc charter services.
The initial focus will be on high-demand regional sectors, with the 737s able to carry specialised freight including pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, express shipments, aerospace components and dangerous goods.
More Than 125 flydubai Destinations
The cargo announcement comes as flydubai continues rebuilding and expanding its passenger network.
As of September 2026, the airline says its network has grown beyond 125 destinations across 56 countries, supported by an average of around 2,200 flights every week.
The scale of flydubai today is easy to underestimate. When the airline began operations in 2009 it was essentially a small Dubai low-cost carrier built around the Boeing 737. It has since evolved considerably beyond that original model.
Its network now reaches across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe, often serving cities which have limited or no other direct links with Dubai.
The close relationship with Emirates also allows passengers to connect between the two airlines’ networks through Dubai.
flydubai Passes 100 Aircraft
Another milestone arrived this week as flydubai announced that its fleet is expanding beyond 100 aircraft.
Eleven new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are scheduled for delivery during 2026 – seven Boeing 737 MAX 9s and four MAX 8s.
For spotters, this means there is increasingly more variety within what was once a relatively straightforward 737 fleet.
The airline has operated the Boeing 737-800 for many years, alongside growing numbers of 737 MAX 8s and MAX 9s.
And an even bigger change is coming. flydubai has ordered 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which will introduce widebody aircraft to the airline for the first time. The airline has also signed an agreement covering up to 150 Airbus A321neo aircraft, potentially ending its historic reliance on Boeing narrowbodies.
The flydubai of the next decade could therefore look very different from the airline we know today.
Could flydubai Eventually Have Its Own 737 Freighters?
This is perhaps the most intriguing part of the cargo announcement.
The SolitAir wet lease appears to be only the beginning.
flydubai says it intends to evaluate passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029 onwards.
That raises the possibility that some of flydubai’s older passenger Boeing 737-800s could eventually gain a second life carrying freight.
It would make considerable sense. As more 737 MAX aircraft arrive, older Next Generation 737-800s will inevitably become candidates for retirement from passenger service. Converting suitable examples into freighters could allow flydubai to develop a dedicated cargo fleet using an aircraft type it already knows extremely well.
For enthusiasts, that could eventually mean the appearance of genuine flydubai-liveried Boeing 737-800 freighters.
For now, however, the SolitAir aircraft will provide the capacity.
