Flydubai orders 75 Boeing 737 MAX jets after Airbus A321neo deal

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FlyDubai orders 75 Boeing 737 MAX jets after Airbus A321neo deal

November 19, 2025

DUBAI,— Boeing secured a provisional order for 75 of its 737 MAX jets from flydubai on Wednesday, a day after the Middle Eastern carrier had placed an order for 150 Airbus A321neo aircraft, the airline confirmed. Flydubai said the deal also includes options for an additional 75 Boeing aircraft.

The announcement comes after flydubai’s decision to turn to Airbus became one of the key discussion points at the Dubai Airshow, the region’s largest aviation event. The airshow is held at the site of a new airport that will serve as flydubai’s base by 2032.

According to flydubai, the agreement with Boeing allows the airline to select later which of the three 737 MAX variants it will operate, including the MAX 8, MAX 9, or the yet-to-be-certified MAX 10.

Reuters previously reported that Boeing had been negotiating to recover part of its market share among one of the 737 MAX’s largest operators.

CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said in an interview that Boeing remains “my home” and expects the U.S. manufacturer to recover from recent challenges.

However, he noted that flydubai had selected Airbus aircraft primarily because of their longer range and larger seating capacity.

Airbus has dominated the high-demand segment of the market in recent years with the A321neo, which has outpaced Boeing’s 737 MAX 10, expected to enter service next year after delays in certification.

Meanwhile, Boeing captured headlines at the airshow with a surprise $38 billion order from Emirates for the 777X, a twin-engine long-haul jet, despite its lengthy development delays.

Emirates President Tim Clark said the airline is not yet ready to commit to Airbus A350-1000 aircraft due to concerns about engine performance in Gulf conditions but expressed support for the smaller A350-900, which the airline began receiving last year.

On Wednesday, Emirates disclosed an order for eight additional A350-900s, previously reported by Airbus as an anonymous transaction.

Making the order public during the Dubai Airshow was widely viewed as a sign of backing for Airbus, even as Emirates finalized its major 777X order earlier in the week.

Other deals at the airshow reflect ongoing demand for freighters amid global trade tensions.

Azerbaijan’s Silk Way West Airlines signed a contract for two more Airbus A350F freighters, while Libya’s Buraq Air reached a provisional agreement to acquire 10 A320neo passenger jets, Airbus said.

(With files from Reuters)