Low-cost carrier Flydubai is in multibillion dollar talks to buy “at least 100” new passenger jets in the coming months as it looks to renew its current book set to expire in 2023, the airline’s chief executive said.
"We are definitely in the market for a new order," flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said in an interview with The National at Dubai Air Show. "We are generally always in talks with [Boeing and Airbus] and we are in intense talks with them now."
The Dubai-based airline, which entered into an expanded codeshare agreement with Emirates in July, is looking at potentially a bigger model of aircraft than its current fleet of mainly Boeing 737-800s as it reviews its aircraft. The top end of the 737 family is the 737 Max 10 which cost $124.7 at list prices. A popular model with other budget carriers is the 737 Max 8 which is priced at $112.4 million.
“For us, we change aircraft every eight years and we have an order book now of 100," Mr Al Ghaith said. That order book expires in 2023 so we are now in the market to ensure we do something for beyond that. But we are not in a rush.”
Flydubai is “looking for similar aircraft [to what it has]- maybe even a little bigger,” he said. “For example, if you look at the Boeing family, there is the 800, the 900 and the 1000, and on the Airbus side, we have the A320, the A321 and the Max. All of these aircraft are options.”
It's unlikely that flydubai would have a mix of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft in its fleet as the operating cost would increase.
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“I’m sure our next order will be more than 100, for sure," Mr Al Gaith said. "We are not in a rush, but of course I would love to have signed a deal at this air show.” When asked if this was not going to happen, he responded, “I don’t think so,” and said around the end of the year was more feasible.
The partnership with Emirates, under which the two Dubai-based carriers are expanding their shared network to reduce route duplication and achieve efficiencies, is “going very well – we have managed to improve connectivity between the two airlines from three hours to two hours and have launched over 40 new routes on the codeshare,” he said.
The 2017-18 operating year will be “as challenging as last year” for flydubai, which reported widening losses in August. The airline recorded a loss of Dh142.5 million for the first six months to the end of June, compared with a loss of Dh89.9m for the same period in 2016. Flydubai reported a 69 per cent decline in its earnings in 2016 because of the challenging operating environment.
“Our second half of the year is always better than the first half and we are on trend with that,” he said. “I think this year will be as challenging as last, nothing much has changed, even though fuel prices have gone up to $60 per barrel.”
In the long term the “oil price is going in the right direction” to help regional airlines recover after a tough period, he said.
Flydubai intends to open “a handful” of new routes within the next two months, Mr Al Ghaith said, adding that Eastern Europe was a key growth opportunity for the airline. “Some of these routes will be driven by the relationship with Emirates.”
A merger with Emirates is out of the question.
“I personally don’t see that because each airline has its own identity and we work on areas of collaboration, of which there are plenty of course,” he said.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
Sour%20Grapes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5