Deal comes in the wake of a mega order placed by Emirates for 95 Boeing aircraft worth $52 billion
Dubai’s flydubai on Monday placed an order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners worth $11 billion (Dh40.37 billion) at the Dubai Airshow, diversifying its current fleet of all-Boeing 737 aircraft.
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; attended the announcement. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, announced the deal on the first day of the airshow.
The airline placed its first-ever order for 50 Boeing 737 aircraft in 2008. Monday’s announcement was the fourth aircraft order placed by the carrier since it was founded in 2008.
“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,” said Sheikh Ahmed.
Flydubai order comes in the wake of a mega order placed by Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates for 95 Boeing aircraft worth $52 billion (Dh191 billion).
The US aircraft maker stole the show on the first day, bagging both the biggest deals of the day.
The Boeing 787-9 aircraft offers seating for more than 290 passengers and has a range of 14,010 km in addition to added cargo capacity. Half of all scheduled 787 Dreamliner flights are operated in short- and medium-haul markets below 5,000 km, demonstrating its versatility and efficiency across all network segments.
The Dubai carrier said it was still evaluating engine options for its first Dreamliner order.
Ghaith Al Ghaith added that the 787 Dreamliner offers a perfect combination of operational excellence, fuel efficiency as well as passenger appeal.
“The 787-9 is perfectly suited for the needs of flydubai as it looks to open up new, longer-range routes and add capacity across its network. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership and to seeing our 787-9 Dreamliners play a central role in flydubai’s strategic expansion plans,” said Stan Deal.
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Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com