The CEO of flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) has told the Business Traveller outlet he is open to acquiring Airbus aircraft in the future despite operating an all-Boeing fleet and ordering thirty B787-9s at the recent 2023 Dubai Air Show.

"We are always open-minded to acquire Airbus…it’s a fantastic aircraft. Unfortunately, we have never been lucky enough to strike the right deal with Airbus. But in the future, you never know," Ghaith Al Ghaith told the outlet.

The state-owned low-cost carrier operates 85 aircraft, including forty-seven B737-8s, thirty-five B737-800s, and three B737-9s. It has a further 136 B737-8s still on order, with deliveries due to start in 2026 and run through 2035.

"We are very honoured by the support that we get from Boeing," said Al Ghaith, adding that the widebody order, the airline's first, was a sign of maturity. "It shows that after 15 years of our operations, and 18 years until we get [the B787-9], we have come of age and are mature enough to expand."

Since the B787 order announcement, flydubai has also signed a deal with aviation training digital solutions provider CAE, to open a USD56 million full-flight simulator and training facility for its Boeing B737 fleet, and has announced plans for a USD190 million dedicated maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) in Dubai South near Dubai World Central.