Flydubai CEO Reveals Insights on Recent Aircraft Orders

flydubai has certainly made headlines at the 2025 Dubai Airshow.

On November 18, 2025, the Emirati airline drew attention from industry professionals by making a remarkable announcement of an order for 150 Airbus A321neo aircraft, along with 100 options. This marked flydubai’s first significant partnership with the European manufacturer. The following day, the airline further expanded its commitments by ordering 75 B737 MAX aircraft from Boeing.

As part of our thorough reporting on the Dubai Airshow 2025, we attended a Q&A session featuring flydubai’s CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, on November 19. During this session, he shared insights on the rationale behind these major orders and his vision for the airline’s future.

Al Ghaith emphasized two primary factors in choosing the A321neo: its capacity to accommodate up to 15 more passengers and provide an additional two hours of flight time compared to its closest rival. He remarked that the A321neo has no peer in this segment, making it the optimal choice for flydubai’s network expansion plans.

Although the delivery schedule for the A321neo extends from 2031 to 2043, Al Ghaith stated that the airline must remain proactive to aid in enhancing Dubai’s status as a pivotal economic and tourism hub. He noted that this timeline aligns perfectly with the airline’s anticipated transition to Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in 2032.

Moreover, flydubai plans to begin limited operations at DWC before the complete transfer of passenger traffic from Dubai International (DXB). This strategic move will enable both flydubai and Emirates to collaborate more effectively under one roof.

Although the two airlines operate separately, they share the same ownership and coordinate on various levels. Currently, while both airlines service passengers from DXB, they operate from different terminals that are quite far apart.

No More Widebodies for the Time Being

While discussions mainly revolved around the newly announced orders, Al Ghaith addressed other facets of flydubai’s growth and future initiatives. He confirmed that the airline is not pursuing any further widebody aircraft orders at this time, having already committed to 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. On the first day of this year’s event, flydubai confirmed an order for 60 GEnx-1B engines to power their future Dreamliner fleet.

Regarding the newly ordered narrowbody aircraft, details like version breakdowns for both the B737 MAX and A321neo, as well as engine specifications for the latter, are still under evaluation. However, Al Ghaith confirmed that the Dreamliner fleet will feature three-class cabins, including business, premium economy, and economy.

He highlighted that adaptability has always been a core principle for flydubai. Since its inception in 2009, the airline’s value proposition has evolved alongside market dynamics and technological advancements.

Starlink Connectivity and Inflight Meals

Al Ghaith elaborated on the airline’s recent decisions to provide complimentary meals and introduce Starlink inflight internet connectivity as activities that embody this adaptability. Over the years, flydubai has conducted various “experiments,” some of which have proven successful, such as the introduction of business class and inflight entertainment.

He likened the introduction of free, high-speed internet onboard to the earlier times when hotels charged for Wi-Fi. Nowadays, travelers expect broadband access as a standard amenity rather than a luxury.

The airline executive acknowledged that operating costs have risen over time, yet this has also translated into increased revenue, allowing flydubai to achieve record profits annually since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He confirmed that technical evaluations for implementing Starlink will commence in the coming months.

“Our biggest competition is ourselves,” he remarked.

What are your thoughts on flydubai’s ambitious plans and the future of air travel?