Summary
- flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith expects Boeing 787 delivery delays, with doubts over the 2026 target.
- The airline plans to use the Dreamliners to fly further and reach new markets.
- flydubai’s 787s most likely have a premium economy cabin, aligning with Emirates’ onboard products.
The Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, Ghaith Al Ghaith, doubts that Boeing can deliver the airline’s first 787s by 2026 as initially planned. The low-cost carrier is one of many airlines worldwide that expects to face delays in the delivery of new aircraft over the next few years.
Boeing 787 delivery delays expected
Ghaith Al Ghaith, who has headed flydubai since it was founded in 2008, detailed some of the airline’s plans for its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners once they are delivered. The low-cost carrier seeks to take advantage of the aircraft’s exceptional range to launch longer routes and break into new markets. The twin-aisle jets will also have a new cabin layout to be more aligned with its sister airline, Emirates.
Photo: Emirates
The CEO made the remarks at the recent Arabian Travel Market held at the Dubai World Trade Center last week. However, he could not disclose too many details about the airline’s plans for its new Dreamliners as he doubts that Boeing can meet the 2026 target. Speaking at ATM 2024, Ghaith Al Ghaith said,
“We are not sure if Boeing can meet the 2026 deadline, given the delays it is experiencing in deliveries. So we first want to make sure that we have the new aircraft on a specific date before we can talk about the other things.”
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This would mean that Boeing would deliver the first 777X six years after the initially planned delivery date.
New routes with the Dreamliner
At the 2023 Dubai Airshow, flydubai placed a groundbreaking order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth about $11 billion. This was the low-cost carrier’s fourth aircraft order since its founding and is part of its plan to diversify its fleet by introducing widebodies. The airline is already a strong Boeing customer with 29 B737-800s, 54 B737 MAX 8s, and three 737 MAX 9s in its fleet.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Although unsure when the 787s will be delivered, the airline’s CEO disclosed plans to launch new routes to destinations in Europe, Asia, and Australia with widebodies. “The main goal of the Boeing 787 will be to fly us farther and into new markets. I think of London in Europe and Bangkok, Thailand. Maybe also to Australia, which the Dreamliners will enable us to achieve with their exceptional range,” added the flydubai chief.
New services to Australia would complement Emirates’ connections from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Similarly, the Emirati national carrier also flies to London and Bangkok. flydubai and Emirates share several synergies. The two carriers have codeshare agreements on several routes, while flydubai uses the Emirates Skywards loyalty program.
Introducing a new onboard experience
Ghaith Al Ghaith also noted that the new Dreamliners will have three classes, with the introduction of premium economy. The new offering would allow flydubai to align its onboard experience with Emirates, which launched premium economy in 2022. The airline recently added 71 more aircraft to its retrofit program to fit more A380s and B777s with premium economy cabins.
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The airline’s top boss, Carsten Spohr, spoke his mind on the issue at a recent interview.
While flydubai is a low-cost carrier, its model differs from that of other budget carriers. Its 737 fleet has economy and business class cabins. The premium cabin offers recliner seats on shorter and medium routes and lie-flat seats on medium and longer routes. Last year, the airline announced new premium business class suites in a 1-1 configuration for its latest single-aisle aircraft.
Photo: flydubai
It planned to debut the premium business class experience by November 2023 and have at least six aircraft with the new suites by the end of Q12024. However, as reported by The Flight Club, the new suites are now expected to debut in Q12025, with the CEO citing “problems finding materials and delays in seat delivery.”
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