Mesopotamia Airlines | طيران بلاد الرافدين | Group B | Abu Dhabi - AUH
IATA: MM | ICAO: MAL | CALLSIGN: MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia Airlines, founded in 2006, is a Low Cost Carrier proving budget transportation from the UAE north to many destinations throughout the Mesopotamia region. From our base in Abu Dhabi, we operate all of our aircraft and serve all of our destinations. This allows us to follow the hub-and-spoke model of aviation, bringing thousands of passengers through the United Arab Emirates, greatly boosting tourism and the economy in our country as it is now a cheap destination to visit.
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Our Livery:
Our livery includes our name in both English and Arabic. We use our primary color of red as well as green accents. We use the symbol of the snake on our tail, as we are poised to strike at the northern markets in the Mesopotamia region where there is far too little service. Our snake also devours its fangs into the non-competitive markets, giving passengers a choice for a lower fare.
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Our Fleet (Current): 62 737-800/MAX
50 - Boeing 737-800
12 - Boeing 737 MAX 8
The Boeing 737 has been our only aircraft family since our founding, and we have no plans to change that. We hope to operate 80 airplanes by 2023, which includes our 50 current 737-800, some used and some new, as well as 30 737 MAX 8. We originally purchased 20 MAX 8, but having struck a deal with Boeing we are acquiring 10 aircraft from cancelled MAX orders that are in the process of refurbishment.
Older 737-800 operate with the "Sardine XL" configuration of 180 seats with 29.5 inches of pitch. Newer 737-800 and all MAX aircraft operate the "Sardine XXL" configuration, with 186 economy class seats with 29 inches of pitch.
We leased 10 used 800s in 2010, operating the XL configuration. In 2012, we leased 10 more from another lessor, preparing for the imminent retirement of our 300s. These also operate in XL. For our major revamp in 2014, we purchased 30 new 800s from Boeing, with our new XXL configuration. All the 800s were in the fleet by 2018 when the 737 MAX began delivery.
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Our Fleet (On Order): 18 737 MAX
18 - Boeing 737 MAX 8
The Boeing 737 MAX is the perfect aircraft to extend our horizons north, south, east, and west. All 737 MAX are delivered with our new "Sardine XXL" configuration, with 186 economy class seats with 29 inches of pitch. 20 737 MAX were ordered for our major revamp in 2014 and began delivery in 2018. 10 more built airplanes that had their orders cancelled were purchased from Boeing at a discount in 2020. These planes will begin service in 2022 after a revamp to change their seat configuration, livery, and style.
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Our Fleet (Historical)
8 - 737-300
4 - 737-700
The 737-300 was our first airplane, and we operated eight used models operating in a "Sardine S" configuration with 144 seats and 30 inches of pitch. The 300 began operations with us in 2006 and all eight had entered the fleet by 2008. It was retired in 2012 after 6 years of service for age reasons, as the planes were approaching their operating lifespan.
The four 737-700 models were leased, and they operated in a "Sardine M" configuration for most of their lifespan, with 147 seats of 29.5 inch pitch, before being reconfigured in the "Sardine L" configuration in 2014, with 149 seats and 29 inches of pitch. These were operated from 2008-2016 and were removed from the fleet due to size and slot issues at major airports.
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2014 Revamp:
In 2014, Mesopotamia Airlines announced one of the largest revamp to ever take place for an airline in Abu Dhabi. We announced our new Sardine L and XXL layouts, our orders for new 737-800 and MAX, as well as a branding change, changing our primary color from orange to red and placing greater emphasis on the "Airlines" part of our name.