flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) is planning to place a new narrowbody aircraft order this year, most likely around the time of the Dubai Air Show in mid-November 2023, Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith told aviation journalist Kurt Hofmann.
"It is high time to make a new order in the very near future... We really like the A320-200N extra range, this gives us a variety of flights which we are not able to go with our current aircraft. The A321-200NY(XLR) is not very attractive for us, but the A321-200NX(LR) gives us a beautiful band of expansion," Al Ghaith said.
The Emirati carrier, which launched as a low-cost carrier but over the last years turned into a full-service regional operator and feeder to sister airline Emirates, is an all-Boeing operator at this moment. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that flydubai has a sizeable order book with the American manufacturer, comprising 138 firm orders - eighty-eight B737-8s and fifty B737-10s. The airline's existing fleet consists of thirty B737-800s, forty-five B737-8s, and three B737-9s.
Al Ghaith stressed that delivery delays affecting the B737 MAX in 2022 were "horrible". "This year is still bad and maybe 2024 will be better," he added.
Despite the supply chain issues, the airline expects to take around ten new B737-8s by the end of 2023.
Al Ghaith added that the delivery delays prompted the carrier to extend the leases of some of its older B737-800s. flydubai's fleet strategy is based on operating aircraft not older than 8-10 years.
"Some of these aircraft which are ours, we try to keep them as long as we can. Because there is so much demand and shortage of aircraft," he added.
The ch-aviation fleets history module shows that the airline has retired thirty-two B737-800s over its history, including two units since January 1, 2023. Out of the remaining thirty B737-800s, flydubai owns nine aircraft.
