European aircraft producer Airbus has announced the signing of a major contract with Flydubai, a low-cost airline headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Today, Airbus said the Emirati airline had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of 150 A321neo jets. The contract is noteworthy because the Arab carrier has so far only bought planes from Airbus’ main competitor Boeing.
Airbus hailed the signing as a “landmark agreement”. No details on the deal value or other specifics of the agreement were published.
The deal was made on the second day of the Dubai Air Show, a biennial aviation industry fair in Dubai.
Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus’ commercial aircraft division, said: “We welcome Flydubai, one of the Middle East’s most ambitious and fast-growing carriers, as a new Airbus customer.
“The decision to introduce the A321neo into its fleet is another endorsement of the added value Airbus brings in terms of range, efficiency and passenger comfort. We look forward to supporting Flydubai as it enables new growth and possibilities with our aircraft.”
Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Flydubai, said the decision for the Airbus model was meant to diversify the airline’s narrow-body fleet and strengthen its long-term expansion plans.
“This will enable Flydubai to play a key role in the success of Dubai airport’s expansion plans, an airport we aim to become the largest airport in the world,” he added.
Flydubai, officially called Dubai Aviation Corporation, is a State-owned Emirati airline that took up operations in 2009. It currently serves more than 130 destinations in Africa, Asia and Europe with 95 aircraft. In 2024, the airline posted a revenue of $3.6 billion (€3.1 billion) and more than 15 million passengers.
The A321neo is the largest version of Airbus’ A320 family of medium-distance aircraft. The plane can seat between 180 and 244 passengers, depending on the configuration. Airbus advertises the A321neo as especially fuel efficient.
Since its introduction in 2017, Airbus has sold more than 7,200 A321neo jets, of which around 1,900 have so far been delivered.
In a separate agreement yesterday, Etihad Airways, the State-owned airline of UAE emirate Abu Dhabi, signed an order for 16 wide-body Airbus aircraft, including six A330, and 10 A350 jets.
