Qatar Airways Plans Massive Boeing Aircraft Order, Up To 200 Jets

Qatar Airways is reportedly nearing a massive aircraft order, which would take the carrier’s capacity to the next level…

Qatar Airways plans to order up to 200 Boeing jets

Bloomberg reports that Qatar Airways is nearing a major Boeing wide body aircraft order. The expectation is that the airline will place a firm order for 100 jets, with options for 100 more jets. The reality is that demand for wide body aircraft is through the roof, so if the airline wants to be able to take delivery of more planes before the 2030s, an order needs to be placed ASAP.

The deal is expected to be announced during Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, which begins next week, and includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. It remains to be seen exactly how this order will be broken up, and exact details are reportedly still being finalized.

Will Qatar Airways order the 777X, 787, or both?

Given that Qatar Airways plans to place a Boeing wide body aircraft order, that means the airline will be ordering either the 787 or 777X. While the 787 has been in service for a long time, the 777X hasn’t yet been certified, and current estimates are that the plane will start commercial service in 2026. However, that timeline has been pushed back for six years, so it’s anyone’s guess how that evolves.

For context, Qatar Airways’ passenger fleet currently consists of around 220 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 from several years back (which has since been resolved).

In addition to the aircraft already in its fleet, Qatar Airways also has 163 passenger jets on order, though many of these are narrow body aircraft. These orders are comprised of:

• 40 Airbus A321neos and 10 Airbus A321LRs
• 18 Airbus A350-1000s
• 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10s
• 60 Boeing 777-9s
• 10 Boeing 787-9s

Just to look at the current state of Qatar Airways’ fleet renewal:

• Qatar Airways’ narrow body fleet currently consists of 28 Airbus A320s, and those will be replaced by A321neos and 737 MAX 10s; that fleet will grow considerably, but it will take time, and rumor has it that the MAX order may be canceled as part of a larger Boeing order
• Qatar Airways has 58 Airbus A350 family aircraft, and this seems to be the carrier’s favorite aircraft, which will be flying for years to come
• Qatar Airways has 51 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, including the 777X
• 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.

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.

My guess is that we’ll see a split between 777Xs and 787s. To me, the biggest question mark is whether Qatar Airways keeps going with the 787-9 variant, or orders the larger 787-10 variant, which seems well suited for the airline, given its higher capacity and range.

Bottom line

Qatar Airways is reportedly preparing to place a large wide body aircraft order with Boeing, expected to be for 100 firm orders, plus 100 options. While we’ll have to wait for an official announcement, my expectation is that the order will include more 777Xs and 787s. After all, Qatar Airways has a lot of older generation 777s to retire, and both planes are a good addition to the fleet.

What do you make of Qatar Airways’ planned aircraft order?