LOW-COST CARRIER flydubai has signed a commitment for 225 Boeing 737 MAX jets, valued at $27bn. The deal, covering 175 aircraft and 50 purchase rights, was announced at the Dubai Airshow where the airline’s first 737 MAX 8 was on static display. More than 50 of the first 175 airframes will be MAX 10s with the rest made up of MAX 8 and MAX 9 jets.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman flydubai, said: “Today’s aircraft order underlines the success of flydubai’s founding vision helping to strengthen trade and tourism links across its network, and has contributed to the enhanced connectivity of Dubai’s aviation hub. In under a decade, flydubai has extended its network to 97 destinations in 44 countries and we look forward to the arrival of the new aircraft from 2019 in support of our future ambitions.”
This latest announcement surpasses flydubai’s previous record order of 75 MAXs and 11 737-800s signed at the 2013 Dubai Airshow. It takes the number of aircraft the low-cost carrier has on order to 320. By the end of the year, flydubai will have a fleet of 61 737-800 and MAX 8 jets, with a further 70 due for delivery by 2023.