Emirates airline, fly Dubai sign new aircraft deals

UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum attended the signing ceremony on Sunday of a new deal for Emirates Airline for purchase of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft worth AED 280 billion (USD one dollar equals AED 3.6 Dirham). The deal was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, UAE news agency (WAM) said. The deal was counter-signed by Jim McNerney, CEO of the Boeing Company. Also present at the signing ceremony were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. During the ceremony, which was held today at Dubai International Airshow, a further agreement to supply 111 aircraft to flydubai worth U.S.11 billion Dollars was also signed. Flydubai announced a commitment for an order for up to 111 aircraft from Boeing. This order includes up to 100 Boeing 737 MAX and up to 11 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s. In only four and a half years flydubai has, in this short time, built up a network of more than 65 destinations, served by a fleet of 33 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The remaining aircraft from its 2008 order will be fulfilled by 2015. It achieved profitability in its third year of operation. It continues to focus on the needs of its passengers most recently launching Business Class services. It made this service available, for the first time, on several of the 46 previously underserved destinations it flies to. The ceremony was also attended by Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai, Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai and Ghaith Al-Ghaith, flydubai's CEO, along with a number of senior officials from the civil aviation sector. Sheikh Mohammed congratulated all on the signing of the two deals, expressing his confidence that Emirates Airline will be among the largest companies with this transaction. Sheikh Mohammed also commended the growing fleet of the flydubai company and its destinations across the world.