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Emirates’ sister airline, 
flydubai, has announced that it will receive 11 further Boeing 737 MAX jets, taking its fleet to over 100 planes. These jets fit into a more extensive fleet modernization program. The ambition is to build a young, fuel-efficient and future-facing fleet. It firmly places flydubai within the D33 masterplan to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033.
Alongside the new jets, flydubai is also retrofitting its existing 737 planes. The changes will expand the lie-flat business class cabin, and improve overhead storage capacity for all customers. These efforts will ensure that passengers enjoy a quality and consistent experience across all flydubai aircraft.
The Announcement Combines MAX 8 And MAX 9 Aircraft
Flydubai is adding both the smallest and mid-size 737 MAX planes to its fleet, with the announcement encompassing seven MAX 9 and four MAX 8 jets. Both are two-class, with the MAX 9 having 16 business and 156 economy class seats.
Meanwhile, the MAX 8 will have ten business class seats. The Facebook post embedded above shows what you can expect from flydubai business class. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said:
“Growing our fleet beyond 100 aircraft is a significant milestone for flydubai and shows how far we have come. These deliveries are central to our long-term fleet strategy, providing the capacity and flexibility to support our growing operations while operating one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies.”
Flydubai Is Undertaking A Significant Retrofit Project
To ensure a “consistent and refined onboard experience,” flydubai is retrofitting its existing 737 MAX planes. It covers the 21 aircraft in the flydubai fleet that have recliner rather than lie-flat business class. Flydubai introduced its lie-flat business class in 2017. The development coincided with the arrival of the airline’s first 737 MAX 8. Flydubai estimates that the project will take 12 months.
Other passengers will benefit from more overhead storage space, as flydubai is replacing the standard bins with Boeing’s larger Space Bins. While a standard overhead bin can hold four bags, a Space Bin has room for six.
This is not the first retrofit completed by flydubai. It previously operated a “multimillion-dollar retrofit investment” to update its Boeing 737-800 fleet. This effort brought in lie-flat business class, new business class seats and in-flight entertainment for all passengers. The project began in 2024. At the time, the carrier flew 29 Next Generation 737-800 planes.
Flydubai May Not Be Boeing-Exclusive For Much Longer
Flydubai’s 100-strong fleet will be exclusively filled with Boeing jets. However, that may not be the case for much longer. In November 2025, Airbus announced that flydubai had signed a memorandum of understanding with the manufacturer at the Dubai Airshow. The deal was an agreement in principle to order 150 Airbus A321neo jets, with options for 100 more aircraft.
It was worth $24 billion at list prices, although we can expect flydubai to have received a significantly better deal than that. If this order is executed before any further Boeing jets are ordered, the European manufacturer will outnumber the airline’s American planes. However, the plan is for these aircraft to be delivered by 2031. If flydubai continues its successful operations, we can expect many more Boeing aircraft to arrive before then.
As flydubai is a state-owned and operated airline, the deal is in line with the United Arab Emirates’ and Dubai’s long-term economic strategy. When he commented on the order, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chair of flydubai, specifically cited the Dubai Economy Agenda D33. This ambitious masterplan aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033, placing it among the top three global cities in terms of financial output. The focus is on innovation, infrastructure, and sustainability.
