DUBAI, United Arab Emirates / EuroWire.IO / – flydubai will open winter services to the Baltic capitals Riga and Vilnius and to the Austrian city of Salzburg in December, with each route operating three times a week. Flights to Riga start on December 11, while services to Salzburg and Vilnius begin on December 12. All three routes will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB) as part of the airline’s expanded winter schedule.
Return Economy Lite fares from Dubai start at AED 2,442 to Riga, AED 2,699 to Salzburg and AED 3,112 to Vilnius. Business Class return fares start at AED 10,012, AED 13,175 and AED 10,301 respectively. For travellers starting in Europe, return Economy Lite fares to Dubai start at €503 from Riga, €530 from Salzburg and €539 from Vilnius. Business Class fares from the three cities start at between €2,104 and €2,514.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, said the routes added breadth and diversity to the airline’s European network. He said they offered direct access to vibrant cultural capitals, distinctive winter experiences and world-class Alpine destinations. The airline would continue opening underserved destinations and strengthening connectivity between Dubai and Europe, he added. flydubai first flew to Vilnius and Riga in December 2025 and has served Salzburg since 2021.
Winter demand drives expansion
Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said winter travel continued to be a key driver of demand. He pointed to the cities’ spectacular scenery, historic architecture and festive traditions, and promised passengers a comfortable journey and a thoughtfully designed onboard experience. Customers can also connect through Dubai to more than 120 destinations, including Bangkok and Krabi in Thailand, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Kathmandu in Nepal, the Maldives and Zanzibar in Tanzania.
The new services follow flydubai’s recent launch of flights to Aleppo in Syria, Bangkok in Thailand, Benghazi in Libya and Pokhara in Nepal. The airline will also resume nonstop flights to Skopje in North Macedonia on April 1, 2027. In July, flydubai increased flights to Milan Bergamo and Naples. The new routes will operate under its codeshare with Emirates, allowing single-ticket bookings and checked-through baggage.
Christmas markets and Alpine slopes
Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, has a Baroque centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors can tour the Hohensalzburg Fortress, attend classical concerts and visit the Christmas market in Cathedral Square. The city is also a gateway to the Ski Amadé region, letting travellers combine a city break with some of Austria’s best-known ski slopes. Flights to Salzburg land at Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Airport.
Riga is known for its medieval streets, Art Nouveau buildings and the Christmas market on Dome Square, while its Central Market occupies former Zeppelin hangars. Vilnius has one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved old towns, with the Gediminas Castle Tower, the Gate of Dawn and Vilnius Cathedral. flydubai flies Boeing 737 aircraft and is rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi. Etihad will also launch winter flights from Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg in December.