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When FlyDubai began operations in June 2009, chief executive Ghaith al Ghaith said he was bringing a "low-cost alternative" to residents of the Middle East. His choice of words might seem clichéd to European travellers, who have long been accustomed to the cut-throat, no-frills model pioneered by Ryanair. But in the Gulf, low-cost air travel has always been a notoriously elusive creature.
Take Air Arabia, the region’s first low-cost carrier (LCC), which took to the skies in 2003. Despite being in the business of no-frills travel, its passengers can check in a bag weighing up to 30 kilos free of charge – generosity which is quite literally unheard of in western no-frills markets. In Europe, hapless travellers who turn up to the airport with the same piece of luggage face fees of up to EUR 250 ($350)...
