Qatar Airways is reportedly nearing a massive aircraft order, which would take the carrier’s capacity to the next level…
Qatar Airways to order 200 Airbus & Boeing jets
Reuters reports that Qatar Airways is nearing a decision on a major wide body aircraft order, which is expected to be split between both Airbus and Boeing. According to people familiar with the matter, the oneworld airline is leaning toward ordering a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777Xs. A final decision could be made as soon as the Farnborough Air Show in late July.
The reality is that demand for wide body jets is through the roof, so if the airline wants to be able to take delivery of more jets before the 2030s, an order needs to be placed ASAP.
While the Airbus A350 has of course been in production for many years and is popular with airlines, keep in mind that the Boeing 777X hasn’t yet been certified. Currently the thought is that the plane could enter passenger service as early as late 2025, though that seems like a best case scenario at this point, given everything going on at Boeing.
The only thing that’s surprising about this aircraft order is that Qatar Airways doesn’t seem interesting in more Boeing 787s. You’d think some more 787-9s or even higher capacity 787-10s could make sense for the airline.
In late 2023, Akbar Al Baker resigned as CEO of Qatar Airways, and was replaced by Badr Mohammed Al Meer. Under Al Baker’s leadership, Qatar Airways and Airbus had a massive dispute, to the point that Airbus refused to sell planes to Qatar Airways, and even canceled the carrier’s existing order. The order was eventually reinstated, but it still pushed back Qatar Airways’ fleet planning by several years.
So it’s not surprising that under the leadership of a gentler and less tyrannical CEO, we’re seeing an aircraft order be one of the top priorities.
How Qatar Airways’ fleet could evolve
For context, Qatar Airways’ passenger fleet currently consists of around 225 aircraft, with aircraft variants being all over the place. Qatar Airways’ fleet planning has been in disarray in recent years, due to a combination of Boeing struggling with getting new aircraft certified, plus the dispute with Airbus.
In addition to the aircraft already in its fleet, Qatar Airways also has 145 passenger jets on order, though many of these are narrow body aircraft. These orders are comprised of:
- 50 Airbus A321neos
- 18 Airbus A350-1000s
- 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10s
- 40 Boeing 777-9s
- 12 Boeing 787-9s
Just to look at the current state of Qatar Airways’ fleet renewal:
- Qatar Airways’ narrow body fleet currently consists of 29 Airbus A320s, and those will be replaced by A321neos and 737 MAX 10s; that fleet will grow considerably, but it will take time
- Qatar Airways has 58 Airbus A350 family aircraft, so I imagine we’ll continue to see the airline order more of those, given what versatile aircraft they are
- Qatar Airways has 48 Boeing 787s, though they’re a mixed bag, with the majority being 787-8s that are already an average of 10 years old
- Qatar Airways has 64 Boeing 777s, and those will eventually be retired, and replaced by newer generation aircraft
- Qatar Airways has eight Airbus A380s, which the airline initially intended to retire, but they were brought back due to A350 issues, plus delays with 777X certification
So I can totally see how Qatar Airways needs a lot of new jets. While narrow body fleet renewal is taken care of, Qatar Airways needs to order more jets to replace existing 777s, A380s, and eventually the older 787-8s.
I imagine at some point in the future, the 777X will be Qatar Airways’ flagship aircraft, and I’d expect for it to have the carrier’s new first class as well. I imagine Qatar Airways can get a good deal on these planes, and for that matter, get flexible terms, given the headwinds with certification.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways is reportedly preparing to place an aircraft order for around 200 jets, split between Airbus and Boeing. The expectation is that Qatar Airways will order A350s and 777Xs. That makes sense in the context of Qatar Airways’ fleet, though the only thing that’s a bit surprising is that there may not be any 787s in the mix.
What do you make of Qatar Airways’ planned aircraft order?
