FLYDUBAI, a low-cost carrier that operates out of Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 2, ramped up its Colombo services to daily from March 11.

The airline started four-weekly services to the Sri Lankan capital last June, which it later hiked to five flights a week, and is looking to boost to double daily by end-2012.

According to Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith, the frequency hikes were in response to rising traffic from emerging markets such as Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, who make use of a Dubai connection to fly to Colombo.

Flydubai currently operates to 13 destinations in former Soviet republics, many of which are secondary airports.

The carrier is planning to launch flights to the new Mattala International Airport in Hambantota, Sri Lanka when it opens in 2013 (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 4, 2011).