Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
flydubai continues its growth plans and has taken delivery of seven new aircraft from April to August. The Dubai carrier said five more Boeing 737 MAX 8s would join its fleet by the end of the year.
The airline, in a statement said the new aircraft would boost its expansion plans while increasing capacity on existing routes.
flydubai added 11 new destinations this year, including seasonal summer destinations Antalya and Al Alamein, as well as Damascus and Peshawar.
Four more destinations are to be added in Europe, including Chișinău and Iași from September and Vilnius and Riga from December.
With the addition of the seven planes and five more to join the fleet, flydubai would have 95 aircraft by year-end to cover 135 destinations in 57 countries.
“The continued interest from our financing partners highlights the strength of our business model and our commitment to contributing to the UAE’s leadership in global aviation. Looking ahead, these aircraft will enable us to unlock new destinations, optimise our operations and play an even greater role in supporting Dubai’s growth as an international aviation hub,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai.
The response to the airline’s financing Request for Proposals (RFPs) and its ability to secure competitive financing for these deliveries reflect the “strong confidence that global financial institutions and lessors have in flydubai’s robust business model and its future growth prospects,” the airline said.
Financing for the first seven aircraft received this year has been secured under Islamic financing from Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), conventional debt financing from The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBANK), as well as sale and leaseback transactions with JP Lease Products & Services Co., Ltd (JLPS) and JLPS Ireland Limited.
flydubai’s Boeing 737-800s have undergone a full cabin retrofit as part of the carrier’s multimillion-dollar retrofit programme, which will continue into 2026. The new onboard cabin interior features flydubai’s flagship lie-flat seats in Business Class as well as exceptional inflight entertainment in Economy Class.
The airline workforce is now more 6,500 across different functions, a 10% increase in the number of employees compared to 2024.
