flydubai is set to push its fleet past 100 aircraft this year, with 11 new Boeing 737 MAX jets scheduled for delivery in 2026 – seven of the 737-9 variant and four 737-8s – as part of a long-term modernisation drive aimed at adding capacity on high-demand routes and replacing older aircraft.
“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. Our investment does not stop with the new aircraft. We remain focused on enhancing our existing fleet, ensuring our customers enjoy a seamless and elevated experience when they travel with us. Our new retrofit programme marks another significant investment in our product offering and reflects our commitment to continuously enhancing the flydubai onboard experience,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai said in a statement.
The 737-9 MAX will seat 16 passengers in Business Class and 156 in Economy, a notably larger premium cabin than the 10 Business Class seats fitted on some of flydubai’s 737-8 MAX aircraft. The airline says the configuration is designed to capture high-yield traffic on key international routes without adding new flight frequencies.
Alongside the deliveries, flydubai will launch the next phase of its cabin retrofit programme in September. Over the following 12 months, 21 aircraft currently fitted with recliner Business Class seats will be upgraded to lie-flat configurations. The programme also replaces existing overhead bins with Boeing’s larger Space Bins, which can hold up to six standard-sized bags compared with four in a standard unit.
The current programme builds on a previous multimillion-dollar retrofit cycle that refreshed flydubai’s older Boeing 737-800 Next-Generation fleet, adding lie-flat Business Class seats, new Economy seating and inflight entertainment.
