Why Emirates Doesn’t Want The Boeing 737 MAX

Upon first glance, the Boeing 737 MAX seems like an aircraft that almost any major airline would want. It is fuel-efficient, flexible, and capable of serving a huge range of short- and medium-haul markets with strong operating economics. But Emirates is not just any airline. The Dubai-based carrier has managed to build its identity around a very different operating philosophy. The carrier moves large numbers of long-haul passengers through one massive global hub using widebody aircraft rather than scattering capacity across a number of smaller jets. In that context, the Boeing 737 MAX is not a missing piece that would add strength to the carrier’s overall network strategy. Rather, it is an aircraft that solves a problem Emirates never really had in the first place.