Well now that get dust has settled/been washed away, it's interesting to see how things are panning out. I guessed 40/20 firms & options, which was along the right lines but almost 100% out on the firms. Hats off to calmcavok who was a lot closer on the numbers. Never let it be said that the UAE do anything by halves!
I suppose the tail end of the order may well start being replacement aircraft as the fleet gets older. It'll be interesting to see when they're actually likely to appear. The 11 more NG's might be bridging the delivery gap.
It's not the greatest order in the world (despite the size), but I guess it makes business sense (a la Ryanair). I can see how it will give FZ space to hit more routes & increase frequency, but I can't exactly see it opening up many more key markets. I think it's unlikely that the MAX'll have the legs for China/SE Asia, though I'd be happy to be proved wrong. Who knows maybe they'll end up copying Air Arabia, and just opening other bases. Not this week though. I think we've all had enough news for now!