Dubai, Aug 11 (IANS): Flydubai, Dubai's first low cost airline, is set to expand its network in Africa with the announcement of flights to Djibouti from Sep 1, WAM news agency reported Monday.

"Djibouti is an important trading destination with established commercial links with Dubai, most notably through DP World, which operates the Port of Djibouti," said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer of Flydubai.

Speaking about the new flight, which will run thrice a week, Djibouti Transport Minister Ali Hassan Bahdon said the new route would bring enormous benefit to Djibouti nationals and expatriates living in the country.

"There are very few direct flights from Djibouti to Dubai, so we anticipate strong demand for the Flydubai service from both the business and leisure markets," he said.

"Our ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai are incredibly important as our country becomes a gateway to Africa in the same way that Dubai is regarded as the entry point to its own region," he added.

Launched in March 2008, the Dubai government-owned Flydubai aims to serve at least 14 destinations by the end of this year.