Dubai, Aug 3 (IANS/WAM) Flydubai, Dubai's pioneering low-cost airline, has doubled the size of its fleet within a year following the arrival of its 18th aircraft last week.

Marking yet another milestone for Dubai's first low-cost carrier, the new Boeing 737-800 NG represents an investment of $80 mn and is the latest delivery of 50 ordered by Flydubai at the 2008 Farnborough Airshow.

Commenting on the new arrival, Flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said, "We are the world's fastest growing start-up airline and a significant contributor to our success has been our young, efficient and expanding fleet.

Flydubai started operations as Dubai's first low-cost airline in June 2009 with daily flights to Beirut, Lebanon.

The airline targets destinations within a 4.5 hour flight-radius of Dubai, and currently has operations to 38 cities, with five additional routes - Ufa and Kazan in Russia as well as Ukrainian destinations Kiev, Donetsk and Kharkov - scheduled to commence in September 2011.