Flydubai (Dubai) and Boeing (Chicago) today announced a commitment for up to 100 737 MAX 8 airplanes and 11 Next-Generation 737-800s on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow.

The commitment from the airline of the emirate of Dubai, valued at $11.4 billion at list prices (including orders and purchase rights), is the largest ever Boeing single-aisle airplane purchase in the Middle East. The investment continues Flydubai’s legacy operating an all-Boeing 737 fleet.

The 737 MAX will build on the Next-Generation 737’s popularity and reliability while delivering customers unsurpassed fuel efficiency in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX 8 is expected to be 8 percent per-seat more fuel efficient than the future competition.

Development of the 737 MAX is on schedule with firm configuration of the airplane achieved in July 2013. First flight is scheduled in 2016 with deliveries to customers beginning in 2017. Already a market success, the 737 MAX has accumulated more than 1,600 orders to date.

Flydubai placed its first order for 50 Next-Generation 737-800s in 2008. The airline took delivery of its first airplane in 2009 and was the first airline in the world to debut the Boeing Sky Interior, an enhanced onboard experience. To date, flydubai has taken delivery of 33 Next-Generation 737-800s.

In the past two years, Flydubai has more than doubled the number of destinations it flies to and has around 1,200 weekly flights. flydubai carried 5.1 million passengers in 2012 and has become the second largest carrier, by passenger numbers, operating out of Dubai International.

In only four and a half years flydubai has, in this short time, built up a network of more than 65 destinations, served by a fleet of 33 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The remaining aircraft from its 2008 order will be fulfilled by 2015. It achieved profitability in its third year of operation.  It continues to focus on the needs of its passengers most recently launching Business Class services. It made this service available, for the first time, on several of the 46 previously underserved destinations it flies to.

The first aircraft, Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s from this order, will be delivered between 2016 and 2017.  Deliveries of the first Boeing 737 MAX will commence in the second half of 2017 and continue until the end of 2023.  As one of the most reliable and efficient single-aisle aircraft models of its type currently available today it will support Flydubai’s continued growth.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8KN WL A6-FDP (msn 40243) arrives at the Dubai hub.

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