Hi, dear flight-report members and readers! In this FR I'd like to present a detailed review of a rare Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX9 on Dubai (DXB) - Tel Aviv (TLV) flight, taken on 6 May 2023.
Intro
Flydubai, the UAE glamourous "lowcoster" (kind of) has a large fleet of narrowbody Boeings: 737-800s, 737 MAX8s and 737 MAX9s, with just 3 of the latters. It was not easy to catch FZ's 7M9 on the flights between DXB and TLV, but eventually I managed. FZ 7M9s seems to be the world's most luxurious ones: with lie-flat seats in business, including some "throne" seats, and rather small count of economy seats.
Boeing 737 MAX9 operators
B7M9, being a MAXed version of not-very-popular B739(ER), is also not very popular, especially outside of North/Central America (where large business cabins favors its fuselage length), being a kind of niche aircraft, in contrast to smaller B7M8, which has insane popularity.
B737 MAX10, which Boeing is fighting to certificate, is what B7M9 should've been from the very beginning (B7MK have already gained significantly more orders than the number of B7M9 delivered).
It would be interesting to list the current B7M9 operators with their layouts. Currently there are just 11 operators with scheduled passenger service.
1) AeroMexico: 28 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y165).
2) Air Tanzania: 2 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y165).
3) Alaska Airlines: 80 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y162).
4) Copa Airlines: 13 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y150, lie-flat business) plus 19 units with 2-class layout (C12_Y162, lie-flat business).
5) Corendon Dutch Airlines: 3 units with single-class layout (Y219).
6) Flydubai: 3 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y156, lie-flat business).
7) Icelandair: 4 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y162).
8) Lion Air: 3 units with single-class layout (Y221) plus 1 unit with 2-class layout (C2_Y210).
9) SCAT - 5 units with single-class layout (Y213).
10) Turkish Airlines: 5 units with 2-class layout (C16_Y153).
11) United Airlines: 113 units with 2-class layout (C20_Y159). UA is the world's largest B7M9 operator.
Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Flydubai operates its longer international flights from DXB Terminal 3, the same where EK operates its flight on A380s and B77W/Ls. In check-in area it's renovated and looks modern, but in the gate area it's showind it's age. T3 is no good for planespotting due to impossibility to get close to windows and anti-sun coating on the glass. When I was trying to take photo of one of EK whalejets, the B7M9 A6-FNC (it turned to be the subject of this FR) taxied by, but I failed to take photo of her in the daylight. The boarding was from one of the bus gates.
The Aircraft
The aircraft of today is 2018-built A6-FNC - FZ's last B7M9. I tried to take photo of it from the bus, but it got blurred due to low light and my imperferct camera.
Boarding
Boarding was via stairs to 1L and 3L doors. I boarded via 1L to be able to take photos of the cabin. It also allowed to look at the large CFMI LEAP-1B engine.
The Business Cabin
The business cabin consists of 16 lie-flat customized Thompson Aero Vantage seats in alternating 2-2 to 1-1 layout. Thus, 4 seats (2B/E and 4B/E) are of "throne" type and are the best seats in this cabin. FZ definitely has the best business class among all the 7M9 operators: only Copa also has lie-flats in its 7M9s, but in 2-2 layout and with simplier seats.
The Economy Cabin
The economy cabin consists of 156 seats in 3-3 layout with row 6 being bulkhead one and rows 15 and 16 being overwind exit ones.
The Economy Seat
The economy seat model is Recaro CL3710, which I deeply hate on longhaul flights. Though, on mid-haul flights like this one (3 hrs) it's a different story. On the flights of this length CL3710 is tolerable and back and ass don't have time to start to die.
The seatwidth is 17.0", which is predictable for 737 fuselage, but the flight is not full and I have the whole row for myself!
The seat has adjustable headrest, standard Recaro armrests, modern IFE with crispy screen and USB port, bifold tray table and 2 seat pockets: a hard one under the screen and a soft one under the tray table.
Inside the seat pocket there's safety card and inflight menu.
The overhead panel is standard for Sky Interior with personal airvents.
Screenshots of the IFE menu.
The Flight
Hilarious safety video is played and pushback begins.
The cabin lights are dimmed and the moodlighing is dark blue.
Taking off from Dubai. Eventually I got to see Dubai downtown from the plane!
Flight data and flight map.
The moodlighting is turned to orange.
Somewhere over Saudi Arabia.
Flight data in Arabic
Unexpectedly a hot meal (kofte) is served! On my 4 flights with FZ between TLV and DXB, it was the first time when I got a complimentary meal. Very nice! Worth to notice that the crew were friendly. Moreover, it were the friendliest crews I ever met on any Arabic airlines I've flown so far. Very huge contrast, for example, with very strict (and almost hostile) Etihad crews! Maybe the reason is that Dubai is very cosmopolitic emirate…
Time to stretch the legs.
View of the economy cabin.
The lavatory is pretty standart with smallish sink.
Mid-way over Saudia…
Some elements of Sky Interior in night blue moodlighting.
Overflying Jerusalem while descending to TLV
The Economy Cabin After The Flight
Some detailed views of the economy cabin upon disembarkment.
My seat 32A after the flight and the last row 33.
Please note that row 25 has blind wall instead of window (photo 3 and 4 in the gallery) Aerolopa is wrong here - always take its schemes with a grain of salt! This is the row near auxiliary 2L/R doors, which are deactivated (they're not needed with FZ's seat capacity far from the limit).
Overwing exit rows 15 and 16.
Please note that 9A seat (2nd photo in the gallery) is missing the window, whereas 9F do have window. This is standard situation for 737 near the engines.
A view of the portside engine from one of the front economy rows.
The Business Cabin After The Flight
Some more views of the luxurious (by narrowbody standards) business cabin in details:
The Aircraft After The Flight
And now it's time to say goodbye to A6-FNC and to the friendly FZ crew.
The 1L door.
From the arrival gallery in TLV T3 it was possible to see the aircraft at a good angle, but, unfortunately, with a lot of reflections on the window.
The starboard CFMI LEAP-1B engine.
And, eventually, I managed to make a decent photo of A6-FNC being towed at departure back to DXB.
Thank you for your attention and see you in the next FRs!
