With the order of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Dubai-based low-cost carrier flydubai has placed its first order for a widebody aircraft.

At the ongoing Dubai Air Show, Dubai-based low-cost airline flydubai has placed an order for the purchase of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, its firstever widebody aircraft order, in a deal valued at USD 11 billion.

According to a press statement issued by flydubai, deliveries of the new widebody aircraft are set to commence from 2026. The airline added that it has an order backlog of more than 130 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered by 2035. The carrier said that it was currently evaluating engine options for its first Dreamliner order.

It currently operates a single fleet-type of 80 Boeing 737 aircraft which includes 30 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800, 47 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and three Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.

“In 2008, when we placed our first ever order for 50 Boeing 737 aircraft, we were confident of the vital role flydubai would play in supporting Dubai’s aviation hub. Today’s order reaffirms flydubai’s commitment to enabling more people to travel across its expanding network,” says Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai.

“The Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers a perfect combination of operational excellence, fuel efficiency as well as passenger appeal,” says Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai.

“The 787-9 is perfectly suited for the needs of flydubai as it looks to open up new, longer-range routes and add capacity across its network. We are proud of the confidence that flydubai continues to place in our products with an all-Boeing fleet. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership and to seeing our 787-9 Dreamliners play a central role in flydubai’s strategic expansion plans,” says Stanley Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The Boeing 787-9 aircraft can seat more than 290 passengers and has a range of 14,010 km. Since revenue service began in 2011, the 787 family has operated on more than 380 new nonstop routes around the world. Half of all scheduled 787 Dreamliner flights are operated in short- and medium-haul markets below 5,000km.

Meanwhile, flydubai has already built a network of more than 120 destinations in 54 countries spanning from Europe to South East Asia.