Flydubai gets first Boeing 737 Max 8

dubai - The new aircraft is the first of 76 aircraft on order from Boeing, all of which will be delivered by 2023

Flydubai marked its fifth Dubai Airshow by unveiling its new Boeing 737 Max 8. This is the first aircraft to be delivered from the largest single-aisle Boeing aircraft order placed in the Middle East in the 2013 edition of the show.

The new aircraft is the first of 76 aircraft on order from Boeing, all of which will be delivered by 2023. Six of these aircraft will join the flydubai fleet by the end of the last quarter of 2017.

Flydubai chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, also president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said: "At the 2013 Dubai Airshow, we made history by placing the largest order for this aircraft type in the Middle East. This was made before this aircraft took its first commercial flight."

Flydubai's CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "We are gearing up and putting the final touches to these new aircraft which will improve our overall fleet performance, bring more flexibility and efficiency to our operations and further support our commitment to opening up new destinations, while delivering an exceptional onboard experience for our passengers."

Flydubai's new Boeing 737 Max 8s will initially be deployed on the furthest points on the carrier's network. Destinations including Bangkok, Prague, Yekaterinburg and Zanzibar will be among the first to be served by the Max 8. The additional aircraft being delivered over the next few years will be rolled out across the fleet and will become available on most of the routes on the network.

"The 737 Max family is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history with about 3,950 orders from 93 customers worldwide," said Marty Bentrott, vice-president, sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia and Africa.

- business@khaleejtimes.com