Emirati state -owned low-cost airline Flydubai is negotiating potential purchases of new А320 Neo jets with European aerospace giant Airbus to replace its Boeing 737 MAX planes that have been grounded globally after two deadly crashes. The announcement comes amid the latest crisis the US plane maker faced after two fatal accidents, involving its best-selling airliners – last month’s Ethiopian Airlines crash and the Lion Air crash in October 2018, took lives of 346 people.

The deadly tragedies led to the grounding of all 737 MAX 8 jets by global regulators. Some air carriers filed lawsuits against the world’s biggest aerospace corporation over losses due to the move. The manufacturer pledged to fix the problem, which had allegedly caused the crashes, through software updates and changes to pilot training procedures. According to Flydubai, the second largest customer of the now-grounded Boeing 737 Max jets, the current uncertainty around MAX 8s has forced it to look at alternatives. The company has ordered 250 of the new model narrow body jets, which were scheduled for delivery by 2030.