flydubai and GE Aerospace have announced an order for 60 GEnx-1B engines to power the Dubai-based carrier’s first wide-body fleet of 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The agreement, signed at the Dubai Airshow 2025 on November 17, includes spare engines and a services agreement to support the carrier’s launch of operations on routes covering longer distances.
The agreement supports flydubai’s growth strategy and the expansion of its network, enabling the airline to increase capacity on routes it operates and meet demand from a passenger base that is growing.
flydubai signs engine deal with GE Aerospace at Dubai Airshow 2025
Established in 2008, flydubai has grown and currently serves more than 135 destinations across 57 countries. The airline is now adding destinations requiring flights over longer distances to its network.
The selection of GEnx-1B engines reflects flydubai’s confidence in GE Aerospace’s technology solutions, which offer performance, durability and fuel efficiency.
The engines are designed for performance and reliability, which are factors for the carrier’s growth in the region’s operating environments.
“Over the years, flydubai has established itself as a key player in the aviation industry, driven by a vision to make travel more accessible and convenient through Dubai’s global aviation hub. The performance and durability of our engines play an integral role in the success of our operations and fleet expansion plans, especially as we prepare to welcome the Boeing 787 aircraft to our fleet in the coming years. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with GE Aerospace as we embark on the next chapter of growth,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai said in a statement.
“We are honoured by flydubai’s trust and confidence in GE Aerospace technology as the airline enters its next phase of growth. The GEnx engines will deliver reliability, efficiency and durability to power the airline’s first widebody fleet. We are excited to help propel flydubai’s expansion plans,” Russell Stokes, President and CEO of Commercial Engines and Services, GE Aerospace added.
The Dubai-based carrier placed its first order for wide-body aircraft – 30 Boeing 787-9s – at the 2023 edition of the Dubai Airshow, diversifying its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which uses fuel efficiently, will allow flydubai to expand its operations and offer the product to cater to the market and customer needs.
Since its introduction in 2011, the GEnx engine family has accumulated more than 62 million flight hours. It stands as GE Aerospace’s fastest-selling engine with thrust levels in the higher range to date, with more than 3,600 engines currently in service and backlog, including spare units.
The GEnx engine powers two-thirds of all Boeing 787 aircraft currently in operation. GE Aerospace commercial engines, including GEnx engines, are certified to run on blends of sustainable aviation fuel that are currently available.
GE Aerospace has been a partner to the UAE for more than 40 years.
To support the country’s plans for the future of flight, GE Aerospace has a presence on the ground, with more than 240 employees, offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Airport Freezone, an On Wing Support Centre in Dubai South, partnership engineering, testing, and MRO facilities across the country, and the Middle East Technology Centre focused on solutions for the region’s environment that is hot and harsh.
