Flydubai Eliminates Onboard Meal Fees, Offers Free IFE for Economy Passengers

Dubai-based flydubai is moving towards a full-service model, eliminating fees for all onboard meals. The airline, which operates alongside Emirates, is making the changes ahead of a fleet expansion, which will see the Boeing 787 flying alongside the Boeing 737 in the years to come.

flydubai is closely interwined with Emirates, with both operating flights from Dubai International Airport to routes across the globe. While flydubai does offer business class, its economy class has previously followed a low-cost model. Now that is all about to change.

You Get A Meal, You Get A Meal, You Get A Meal

Credit: flydubai

flydubai today announced that it is leveling up the economy class service for all passengers from November 2025, though an exact date is not specified. The headline change is that all passengers will receive a free meal, light snack, and refreshments on flights. Currently, meals are included in most fares, but cost extra when traveling on a lite fare. At the time of writing, a meal on the Basel-Dubai flight on November 17th is priced at 35 AED ($9.53).

According to the airline, the offerings available to passengers will vary depending on the route length and region. On offer will be authentic local dishes from African, European, Indian, Middle Eastern, Russian, and Southeast Asian cuisines. Commenting on the change, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said,

“Redefining the Economy Class offering across all flights represents a significant evolution in our business model, offering customers a more elevated and convenient travel journey.”

IFE Will Also Be Included For All Passengers

It’s not just the meal offering that is changing for economy passengers, though. The airline also revealed that it is going to be offering free in-flight entertainment (with headphones included) throughout the aircraft. Previously, it was complimentary in business class or 15 AED ($4.08) in economy.

While not quite the Emirates ICE entertainment system, the flydubai entertainment system still provides a huge bank of content. The airline says it has over 1,000 options in its system, including the latest Hollywood, Bollywood, Arabic, and international films, alongside TV shows, music, and podcasts. As of November, the airline will offer the following fares

flydubai is Leveling Up Ahead Of 787 Deliveries

Credit: Boeing

As Emirates’ little sibling, flydubai has previously only operated narrowbodies while Emirates stuck to widebodies. This is set to change in the future, as flydubai has 30 Boeing 787 orders. These will expand flydubai’s reach from Europe, Asia, and Africa to most of the globe.

With the introduction of the Boeing 787, flyduabi has the opportunity to offer even longer flights than it does now. While it could have kept the low-cost option on longer flights, the move to offer meals to all passengers could be driven by future long-haul route considerations.

Qantas currently operates the longest Boeing 787-9 flight with a non-stop Perth-London connection, clocking in at almost 18 hours. It seems unlikely that flydubai will operate such long flights with the aircraft, but even a possible 12-hour flight would be uncomfortable without any included meals.

The first flydubai Boeing 787s were expected to be delivered next year. However, the current expectation is that the first Dreamliners will now join the flydubai fleet in 2027. In about a month, the airline is expected to have a sizable presence at the Dubai Airshow, so we will keep our eyes peeled for further updates on the type.