Flydubai will resume Boeing 737 Max passenger flights on April 8, after the UAE lifted a 23-month safety ban on the jet in February, the airline said on Sunday.
The airline has complied with the UAE’s aviation regulator's safety requirements to ensure a safe return to service, the company said yesterday.
“The Max is integral to flydubai’s fleet and we are confident in the aircraft and its capabilities,” said chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith.
The airline is one of the world’s biggest customers of the industry workhorse.
The UAE joins Canada, the US, Brazil and Europe in approving the plane’s return to commercial service.
The jet was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes in five months that killed 346 people.
Flydubai’s first 737 Max flight will be to Sialkot in Punjab, Pakistan, on April 8.
The airline will also operate the jets on a number of routes in the coming weeks, said chief commercial officer Hamad Obaidalla.
Flydubai has a fleet of 14 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Four of its Max 8 variants and one of the larger Max 9s have received regulatory approval to rejoin its fleet.
The remaining jets are scheduled to resume passenger flights in the coming months, the airline said.
Passengers will be notified in advance if their flight involves a 737 Max jet, flydubai said.
The General Civil Aviation Authority, the UAE’s aviation regulator, approved each jet's return to service after ensuring compliance with a set of safety rules.
Flydubai said it “met and exceeded” the stringent requirements set out by the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the GCAA.
These include software enhancements, a wire separation modification, additional pilot training and thorough aircraft reactivation activities.
On March 29, Boeing won a new order for 100 Max jets from Texas-based Southwest Airlines, its biggest sale since the US lifted the ban on the aircraft in November 2020.
A day later, the US manufacturer also struck a deal with Alaska Airlines for an additional 23 Max 9 jets.
On March 12, Miami-based private investment firm 777 Partners agreed to add 24 Max 8 planes to its portfolio.
The string of deals underscores growing confidence in the jet after it was grounded for about two years.
Boeing has been trying to rebuild confidence and trust with its passengers and airline customers after the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
The latest orders will provide a vital cash injection after the Chicago-based plane maker ended 2020 with a record annual loss of $11.9bn.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
Company%20profile
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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.
New schools in Dubai
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
