Qatar Airways and Boeing have announced that the Middle-Eastern carrier has ordered 25 Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft with options for a further 25.
The story started at the tail end of January when, Airbus cancelled Qatar Airways order for 50 A321neo aircraft. The move was retaliatory after the airline filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer in December 2021 regarding ongoing quality issues with its fleet of A350 aircraft, of which Qatar was the launch customer.
Almost immediately after this announcement, Qatar Airways then said it was looking to purchase up to 50 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, the closest competitor to the hugely popular Airbus A321neo. Seven months later, on day four of the Farnborough International Airshow, the airline’s CEO Akbar Al Baker has confirmed that it will indeed purchase up to 50 737 Max aircraft. Coincidentally, or rather not – the order comes on the eve of the Airline’s 25th anniversary.
The airline currently operates a fleet of 29 Airbus A320 and two A321 aircraft for its short/medium haul routes, which today’s order of 737 aircraft will replace.
Matt is a Berlin-based writer and reporter for International Flight Network. Originally from London, he has been involved in aviation from a very young age and has a particular focus on aircraft safety, accidents and technical details.
