Catching up with Breaking Travel News’ Phil Blizzard during Arabian Travel Market, Ghaith al Ghaith, chief executive of flydubai, tells us how the low-cost sector is developing in the Middle East and all about his plans for the year ahead.

flydubai is the first national carrier for the UAE to create direct air links to the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, and with the start of the service sees its comprehensive network in Africa grow to 13 destinations in ten countries.

The daily flights, beginning on April 15th, will operate with an en-route stop in nearby Entebbe and will also be available for booking through the Emirates codeshare agreement.

‎flydubai’s inaugural flight touched down earlier at Kilimanjaro International Airport, increasing capacity to Tanzania and further expanding its network in Africa to twelve destinations.

flydubai has marked its fifth Dubai Airshow by unveiling its brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8. This is the first aircraft to be delivered from the largest single-aisle Boeing aircraft order placed in the Middle East in the 2013 edition of the show.

Following the commencement of their partnership, Emirates and flydubai today announced that Emirates will expand its network to 29 flydubai destinations across three continents. The new partner network, through its codeshare, will offer greater frequency and easier access to more global destinations with the advantage of connecting baggage to the final destination.