Boeing 737 Max still ‘integral’ for future, flydubai says
Airline says it values relationship with Boeing even as aircraft grounded globally
Dubai: Low-cost carrier flydubai reiterated on Thursday its confidence in Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft even as the model is now grounded across the world.
Flydubai said that its Max aircraft “remain an integral part of [its] strategy for the future,” and that it values its relationship with Boeing, with whom it continues to work closely.
“We recognise this is a unique and complex situation, underpinned by safety and regulation. There are a number of procedural factors that our experienced teams are working through,” a spokesperson told Gulf News via email.
Flydubai currently has 11 Boeing 737 Max 8s in its fleet and two Max 9s, all of which were grounded on March 13 by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, following the fatal crash of an Ethiopian Air plane of the same model. The Authority said the ban was a safety precaution, and it came as regulators across the world also banned the model from their airspace.
In the UAE, flydubai is the only domestic carrier that either has 737 Maxs in its fleet or in order. In 2017, at the Dubai Air Show, the airline made headlines when it ordered $27 billion worth of Boeing 737 Max’s. The deal includes orders for 175 aircraft and options for another 50 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled until 2029.
The Dubai-based airline is now focusing on passengers whose plans are affected by cancellations of flights due to the 737 ban, it said, and is working to “minimise disruption” for them.