Flydubai plans premium economy on incoming Boeing 787s
November 23, 2025
Flydubai will introduce premium economy on its incoming Boeing 787-9 aircraft, a new cabin class for the carrier as it prepares for widebody operations for the first time.
The 30 Boeing 787-9s form part of an order placed at the 2023 Dubai Airshow, marking flydubai’s first step into twin-aisle operations.
Deliveries are expected to begin later this decade, positioning the carrier to open denser long-range routes and reduce its reliance on its 737 fleet.
The additional range and capacity of the 787 will enable money-making flydubai to increase frequencies on existing routes and enable the launch of new long-distance destinations.
Flydubai commits to premium economy
Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith confirmed that the aircraft will be delivered with a three-class layout, comprising business, premium economy and economy sections.
The move reflects a clear demand pattern among passengers seeking an option between standard economy and the airline’s business-class product.
For flydubai, it represents a logical extension of a gradual shift away from the purely budget model with which it launched.
“We’ve finalised the [cabin lay-out] plan. We definitely will have three classes … we will have business, premium economy and economy,” the CEO was quoted by The National newspaper as saying.
“The premium economy, which I have no personal experience in selling or operating, but I hear very good news everywhere in the world about it.”
The cabin plan also aligns the airline more closely with full-service competitors operating across the Gulf, several of which have already adopted mid-tier cabins.
Sister carrier Emirates introduced premium economy seats in January 2021.
For flydubai, the flexibility of a premium economy cabin will be particularly important as it introduces long-haul aircraft for the first time and competes for connecting traffic alongside its Dubai-based full service partner.
A busy Dubai Airshow for flydubai
At last week’s Dubai Airshow, flydubai firmed up the propulsion package for its forthcoming Dreamliner fleet, signing an agreement with GE Aerospace for 60 GEnx-1B engines to equip the airline’s 30 Boeing 787-9s.
The deal covers both production and spare engines, alongside a long-term support arrangement intended to support the carrier’s entry into long-haul operations.
Elsewhere at the show, flydubai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Boeing for 75 additional Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft.
The carrier also placed an order with Airbus for 150 A320 family aircraft. The order represented the first time that the airline had placed new aircraft orders directly with the European aircraft manufacturer, having until now operated an all-Boeing fleet.
Established in 2008, flydubai has grown significantly and currently serves more than 135 destinations across 57 countries.
Flydubai currently operates a fleet of 96 Boeing 737 aircraft, which includes 27 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s, 66 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and 3 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
Featured image: Flydubai
