Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum toured the Dubai Airshow 2017 on its second day and stopped at various pavilions of participating exhibitors.

Accompanying Sheikh Mohammed on the tour were the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of the Emirates Group Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and director-general of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

Sheikh Mohammed inspected the brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8, which is set to join the flydubai fleet as part of its recent order of 76 aircraft of this generation. Flydubai will take delivery of five additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft by the end of 2017.

Flydubai's CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith briefed Sheikh Mohammed on the new Boeing 737 Max 8, which will be deployed on the furthest points on the carrier's network. Destinations including Bangkok, Prague, Yekaterinburg and Zanzibar will be among the first to be served by the Max 8.

On his tour, Sheikh Mohammed stopped at the US pavilion and listened to a briefing on various advanced civil and military exhibits on display.

Sheikh Mohammed praised strong participation by leading international manufacturers and vendors showcasing their latest in defence systems, avionics, commercial and military aircraft, and support services.