Flydubai places US$11 billion order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

Saifur Rahman

The Dubai-based state-owned budget carrier, Flydubai signed an agreement with Boeing Commercial Airplanes to purchase 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, worth US$11 (billion Dh41 billion) at list price, as the airline diversifies its fleet with the introduction of wide-body aircraft. This is the first order for wide-bodied aircraft by Flydubai.

Inducting wide-bodied aircraft will help Flydubai to carry more passengers per flight and could offer better discount per seat on certain high-traffic routes. The decision to introduce wide-bodied aircraft will significantly boost the airline’s capacity to fly to key hub airports such as London, Paris and other key European and Asian destinations, according to aviation analysts.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, 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.”

This is the fourth aircraft order placed by the carrier since it was founded in 2008; building on the success of its business model. Flydubai is currently evaluating engine options for its first Dreamliner order.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive officer of Flydubai, said:“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Flydubai. We are committed to offering the right product at the right time to cater to the changing market and customer needs. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers a perfect combination of operational excellence, fuel efficiency as well as passenger appeal.”

The Boeing 787-9 aircraft can offer seating for more than 290 passengers and has a range of 14,010 km (7,565 nautical miles) in addition to added cargo capacity. Since revenue service began in 2011, the 787 family has operated on more than 380 new nonstop routes around the world. Half of all scheduled 787 Dreamliner flights are operated in short- and medium-haul markets below 5,000 kilometres (2,700 nautical miles), demonstrating its versatility and efficiency across all network segments.

According to Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook, the Middle East fleet is projected to more than double over the next 20 years. Nearly half of these deliveries will be wide-body aircraft, driven by the region’s growing position as a global aviation hub.

Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “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. Flydubai passengers will enjoy the Dreamliner effect, an experience like no other in the air, flying with more comfort and arriving to their destinations feeling more refreshed. We are proud of the confidence that flydubai continues to place in our products with an all-Boeing fleet. 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.”

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.