flydubai seals $11b order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

Dubai-based low-cost carrier, flydubai, has reached an agreement with Boeing on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow 2023 to purchase 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for $11b as the airline diversifies its fleet with the introduction of wide-body aircraft to cater to the growing demand on existing routes. flydubai currently operates an efficient single fleet-type of 80 Boeing 737 aircraft and includes: 30 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800, 47 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 03 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The airline has an order backlog of more than 130 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered by 2035. The carrier has built a network of more than 120 destinations in 54 countries spanning from Europe to South-East Asia. The signing ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai; Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai; Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, Stan Deal and Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai. Commenting on the order, Sheikh Ahmed said: "In 2008 when we placed our first ever order for 50 Boeing 737 aircraft, we were confident of the vital role flydubai would play in supporting Dubai’s aviation hub. I am proud today to see flydubai evolve further, surpassing labels and challenging the traditional conventions around travel. Today’s order reaffirms flydubai’s commitment to enabling more people to travel across its expanding network. The highly fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner will allow flydubai to expand its horizon and cater to the growing demand on existing routes."<br/>