FlyDubai to order at least 50 aircraft this year

Dubai:

FlyDubai, the emirate’s budget carrier, is negotiating with Boeing and Airbus for at least 50 aircraft, possibly at the Dubai Airshow in November, a top official said.

FlyDubai, set up in 2009 by the Dubai Government with a start-up capital of Dh500 million, at present flies to 57 cities with a fleet of 29 Boeing 737 aircraft delivered so far out of the 50 on firm orders.

“By 2015, this order will be exhausted when we will need additional aircraft — the way we are growing now. So, we need to make fresh orders for delivery beyond 2015,” Gaith Al Gaith, Chief Executive of FlyDubai, told Gulf News in an interview.

“We are planning to place an order this year of at least 50 aircraft,” Gaith said, when they would be signing the deal at the Dubai Airshow in November. “We are currently talking to both Boeing and Airbus on this deal.”

Dubai is home to two airlines — Emirates and FlyDubai — who collectively operate 229 aircraft, making the emirate the biggest airline hub in the Middle East and North Africa.

FlyDubai is the second biggest airline to pull traffic to Dubai International Airport after Emirates.

The airline, which started commercial flights in June 2009, has already become profitable last year.

Gaith said the airline will make additional profits this year over the last year’s level due to a larger network and higher seat load factor across its network. The airline is adding 14 new destinations this year.

“The 57 cities that FlyDubai currently serves, out of them 35 destinations were not connected to Dubai before,” he said. “We are currently serving markets that were previously underserved. As a result, there have been a high pent-up demand.

“Through our flights, we are helping meet the pent-up demand and helping the economies. One of our key success factors is the magic power of Dubai to attract people to our hub.”