flydubai fleet to top 100 aircraft, 21 jets get lie-flat Business Class seats

Dubai: flydubai passengers will see more lie-flat Business Class seats and larger overhead storage across parts of the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet under a new cabin upgrade programme starting in September.

The Dubai-based carrier will retrofit 21 aircraft currently fitted with recliner Business Class seats over the next 12 months, replacing them with flydubai’s lie-flat seats.

Larger Boeing Space Bins will also replace existing overhead bins, increasing capacity to as many as six standard-sized bags compared with four in a standard overhead bin.

The cabin changes come alongside another fleet expansion, with flydubai taking delivery of 11 additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft during 2026 and moving its fleet beyond 100 aircraft.

11 more aircraft joining in 2026

The planned deliveries comprise seven Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft and four Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.

flydubai said the additional aircraft form part of its long-term fleet modernisation programme, replacing older aircraft while giving the airline more capacity to expand its network and add seats on routes with higher demand.

More Business Class seats on 737-9 MAX

flydubai’s Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft are configured with 16 Business Class seats and 156 Economy Class seats.

Some Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft currently have 10 Business Class seats.

The additional premium capacity will allow the airline to accommodate stronger Business Class demand on key international routes and deploy more premium seats across existing services.

Bigger overhead bins across MAX fleet

The cabin retrofit beginning in September will also increase the amount of overhead storage available to passengers.

Boeing’s Space Bins can hold up to six standard-sized bags, compared with four in conventional overhead bins, giving passengers more room for cabin baggage and helping increase storage capacity during boarding.

The latest programme follows flydubai’s previous multimillion-dollar refurbishment of its Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 fleet, which included lie-flat Business Class seats, new Economy Class seats and inflight entertainment.