Dubai’s ambition to build out one of its two international airport into an aerospace and logistics mega-hub includes a component focused on business aviation.
Several airlines detailed fleet expansion plans as they announced orders and commitments at this year’s Dubai Airshow—transactions that largely favored Boeing.
With the fallout of orders from the recent Dubai Airshow, this week's Flight Friday looks at those operators who ordered more than 30 aircraft at the show.
Emirates has placed a firm order with Boeing for a further 90 777X, including for the smaller 777-8 variant, while flydubai has ordered its first 787s.
Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith says the LCC has "nine aircraft to be delivered from now until [the] end of the year, but we are not sure we will get even four.”
The agreement calls for four Smartwings Boeing 737-800s to be wet-leased by flydubai, in the third such agreement with the European airline since 2019.
Flydubai was established in March 2008 as an LCC and grew quickly by serving secondary markets from Dubai and as a strategic partner of Emirates Airline.
The airline is growing its Saudi Arabia offering to 13 flights per day and launching a shuttle service for fans attending the forthcoming FIFA World Cup.
