Saudi Arabian airline Flyadeal is reconsidering its Boeing 737 MAX order following the fatal crash of two airplanes in Ethiopia in March and Indonesia in October, which led to it being banned in most countries.
“We’ve kept an open position in terms of which way we will go on fleet given the situation with the MAX. At the moment, we still don’t have a decision, but it is imminent,” CEO Con Korfiatis told Reuters at the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai.
Flyadeal, which is owned by state carrier Saudia, ordered 30 of Boeing’s best-selling plane with purchasing options for 20 more in a deal reportedly worth $5.9 billion at list prices.
However, it will be able to cancel the order as it hasn’t yet finalised its contractual terms, Korfiatis said. The airline could opt for comparative narrow-body jet Airbus A320neo instead.
The Saudi carrier was launched in 2017 and is aiming to have a fleet of around 50 leased and ordered airplanes by 2025.
As for Boeing, it is developing a software fix and new pilot training to rectify its plane.
Korfiatis praised the company’s customer communications in light of the crisis, stating that it has managed it “very professionally.”
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