flydubai has announced a duo of new routes taking Dubai's first low cost airline's network to 26 destinations.

Sulaimaniyah in Iraq and Yerevan in Armenia are the two new routes, giving travellers even more diverse destinations to visit when they begin their inaugural services in November, 2010.

flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "Our two new destinations are both to incredibly important markets for flydubai. Sulaimaniyah is our second route in Iraqi Kurdistan, following on from the start of flights to Erbil in August.

"The service to the Armenian capital Yerevan is a totally new market for us, but similarly, a very important one. As a city Yerevan has a long history, being inhabited from the 8th century BC, meaning there is thousands of years of history to be explored and discovered, while the modern city has much to offer too," he added.

"The service to Sulaimaniyah underlines flydubai's commitment and confidence in the country of Iraq, which has attracted a lot of investment from the UAE, helping grow trade links and cement ties between the two nations."

Sulaimaniyah is a major city in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq. A much younger city than some of its neighbours, with history stretching back to the 18th century, Sulaimaniyah has grown to be a large city, with around 800,000 inhabitants.

The city is surrounded by three mountain ranges and several hills, and has what are often regarded as some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the region. Agriculture plays a big part of the city's economy, as well as a vibrant tourism industry.

Seen as the cultural centre of Kurdistan, Sulaimaniyah is home to Iraq's second largest museum after the National Museum in Baghdad, and it also has a strong arts scene with several art galleries.

Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is an ancient city that is considered one of the world's oldest inhabited cities. Situated in the Ararat Valley, the city is picturesque with Mount Ararat providing a stunning backdrop. The city is divided by the Hrazdan River, with the river gorge offering a spectacular feature to the capital.

The city is one of Armenia's major tourist destinations, with a wealth of culture, history and modernity providing an eclectic mix that is unique to ancient cities such as Yerevan.

The city is also a haven for both Armenian and international businesses, with a booming construction industry that has seen strong growth in the past decade. Yerevan has seen many new builds but also extensive refurbishment and regeneration of older areas of the capital.

The service to Sulaimaniyah begins on November 24, flying twice a week to the Iraqi city. Flight FZ205 departs Dubai at 2215hrs and lands in Iraq at 0025hrs local time. Service FZ206 from Sulaimaniyah to Dubai leaves at 0110hrs and arrives at Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 0440hrs local time. A one way flight from Dubai begins at AED 1225. Flights from Sulaimaniyah to Dubai start at USD 315 one way.

Flights to Yerevan start on November 21 with the service operating three times a week. Flight FZ715 departs Dubai at 1010hrs, arriving in the Armenian capital at 1335hrs local time. The return service FZ716 leaves Yerevan at 1420hrs and touches down in Dubai at 1725hrs local time. Prices from Dubai to Yerevan start at AED 590 and a one way flight from Yerevan begins at USD 190. Flights are available for purchase from the website (www.flydubai.com), call centre (+9714 301 0800) and travel partners.

flydubai has a simple model where customers only pay for services they want to receive. The price of the flight includes all taxes, once piece of hand luggage weighing up to 10kg, and one piece of checked baggage, per passenger.

Passengers have the option to purchase an additional piece of checked luggage for AED 150, weighing up to 32kgs. Extra legroom seats are also available for AED 100.

flydubai operates from a modernised and enhanced Terminal 2 on the north side of Dubai International Airport.