Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 24 September 2012: flydubai has taken home the accolade for Best Ancillary Revenue Innovation for its In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system at the Budgies World Low Cost Airlines Congress 2012 awards.

Announced during the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London, UK, the annual awards celebrate the achievements of the low-cost airline industry and recognise some of the sector's key players. With votes cast by a distinguished panel of judges, flydubai was praised for its ongoing commitment to innovation for its IFE system, while staying true to its low-cost philosophy.

flydubai's CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith commented: "Winning this award is a significant achievement for flydubai and highlights our position as a force for innovation within the worldwide low-cost aviation community. Our accolades include becoming the only airline in the world to show movies in high definition when we launched our IFE system in November 2010. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the judging panel for voting for us and for their recognition of flydubai."

The 'Fiber-To-The-Screen®' ('FTTS®') system from Lumexis has broken new ground in In-Flight Entertainment thanks to the fibre-optic technology enabling movies to be shown in high definition in the air for the first time. flydubai continues to lead the way with an unprecedented increase in movies, TV shows and music following the launch of an enhanced offering in March. The carrier now shows more Hollywood movies than any other airline in the world.

Passengers can choose from more than 190 Hollywood, Bollywood, Russian and Arabic films - an increase of more than 1,000% from the 16 movies offered when the IFE first launched. The entertainment line-up includes brand new releases, including the Hollywood blockbuster Hunger Games as well as the comedic re-boot 21 Jump Street. Elsewhere, there are 150 TV programmes - up from 32 in 2010 plus 300 music albums, providing more than 800 hours of non-stop entertainment.

In addition to the increased choice, flydubai also evolved its payment model in March 2012 moving from a pay-per-view to a pay-to-access format. Passengers can opt for the Basic package for AED 10, which includes all TV programmes, audio and games, or the Premium package for AED 30, which includes everything in the Basic package plus movies. Daily newspapers in English and Arabic, flydubai news, the route map and information are free of charge on all flights.

Flights can be purchased from flydubai's website (flydubai.com), the flydubai Call Centre in the UAE (+971 4 231 1000), as well as through travel partners and flydubai Travel Shops. Further information and details of the carrier's car rental and travel insurance services can also be found on flydubai.com.

About flydubai:
Established in March 2008, flydubai is Dubai's first low-cost airline and the fastest growing start-up airline in the world. Since commencing operations in June 2009, the airline has established an operational route network of more than 45 destinations across the GCC, Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Asia and Central & Eastern Europe and has built up fleet of 24 aircraft. Owned by the Government of Dubai, the low-cost carrier supports the city's commercial and tourism sectors by serving all travellers and providing them with affordable air links to a range of destinations. The airline is dedicated to quality service and comfortable travel, lowering costs by optimising operational efficiencies and offering the passenger more choice. 

For more information about flydubai services, please visit flydubai.com or contact the flydubai Call Centre (+971 4 231 1000) or travel partners.

For further information, please contact:
Aimee Greaves, flydubai: (+971) 56 682 6100; Email: aimee.greaves@flydubai.com
Lucy Smith, DABO & CO:  (+971) 50 915 5735; Email: lucy.s@daboandco.com

© Press Release 2012