This shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, but Qatar Airways has quietly canceled its Boeing 737 MAX 10 order.
In this post:
Qatar Airways no longer plans to expand Boeing 737 MAX fleet
In 2022, Qatar Airways placed an order for up to 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, including 25 firm orders and 25 options. This is the largest variant of the 737 MAX, and it’s also one of the variants that’s yet to be certified. For quite some time, there have been rumors that this order would be canceled, and that has now been confirmed by the company’s CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, in an interview with Bloomberg.
The official cancelation of this order came as part of the recently announced deal with Boeing, whereby Qatar Airways placed a massive wide body aircraft order, for up to 210 jets. This includes orders for both the 787 and 777X. Given Boeing’s certification woes with the 737 MAX 10, I imagine that deal could’ve been canceled anyway at some point, without any penalty.
Do keep in mind that Qatar Airways currently flies a few Boeing 737 MAX 8s. These are just planes that are intended to temporarily increase capacity, as they were designed for Russia’s S7 Airlines. Due to sanctions, the airline couldn’t take delivery of them, and now Qatar Airways intends to eventually get rid of them as well.
Qatar Airways going all-in on Airbus A321neo
With the Boeing 737 MAX 10 order being cut, Qatar Airways still has 50 Airbus narrow body jets on order, including 40 A321neos and 10 A321LRs.
These planes will be a game changer for Qatar Airways. Not only will they offer a much improved onboard product (many with flat beds), but they’ll allow the airline to massively expand its narrow body fleet. Qatar Airways currently has 30 narrow body planes, while the airline will eventually have 50 of them.
So, why did Qatar Airways order the 737 MAX in the first place, if it had so many A321neos on order? It’s because going several years, there was a heated dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways, whereby the airline and aircraft manufacturer were arguing over the condition of Airbus A350s. Qatar Airways claimed the fuselage of the aircraft was degrading at an accelerated rate, while Airbus claimed that the damage was cosmetic.
The battle got so bad that Airbus refused to sell more planes to Qatar Airways, and canceled the Doha-based carrier’s existing aircraft orders. So at the time, Qatar Airways placed what I’d describe as a “rebound” aircraft order, for Boeing jets.
The two companies ended up reaching a settlement in 2023, and as part of that, Qatar Airways’ Airbus aircraft orders were also reinstated.
The reality is that the A320-family of aircraft is a better fit for Qatar Airways than the 737-family. The A321neo product range is much more versatile, Qatar Airways’ existing narrow body fleet is primarily Airbus, etc. So it’s no surprise that Qatar Airways ultimately canceled that Boeing order.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways has canceled its Boeing 737 MAX 10 order, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. This decision was formally made as part of the recent huge Boeing wide body aircraft order.
Qatar Airways will instead focus on the Airbus A321neo, which makes a lot of sense, since that’s the plane the airline wanted in the first place. The airline only ordered the 737 MAX after Airbus canceled the A321neo order due to a dispute. Of course the two companies ultimately made up, and Qatar Airways then stuck to its original plan.
What do you make of Qatar Airways axing its Boeing 737 MAX 10 order?
Boeing certainly has the support of the US administration to sell their products to ME, Korea, and Taiwan. Protection by the US Army and US Navy has its price.
Would be nice the EU would support Airbus as ferocious as the US is supporting Boeing.
Not surprised. No sensible person/country/company would buy from Boeing at this time
It should be noted that QR does not actually fly any 737 MAXes itself. Six of them fly for IndiGo (6E) as a partnership where the Indian LCC provides capacity by connecting from numerous Indian cities to DOH, and the other three are parked. However, A7-BSD, which never flew for 6E so far, will start doing so at the end of this month, May 2025.
It’s clear that QR doesn’t quite intend to fly the...
It should be noted that QR does not actually fly any 737 MAXes itself. Six of them fly for IndiGo (6E) as a partnership where the Indian LCC provides capacity by connecting from numerous Indian cities to DOH, and the other three are parked. However, A7-BSD, which never flew for 6E so far, will start doing so at the end of this month, May 2025.
It’s clear that QR doesn’t quite intend to fly the 737 MAX as part of its own fleet as much as possible. To that end, it’s soon taking delivery of its first A320neo (A7-AJF), which is a welcome change as A320ceos are its only other narrowbodies. If only QR showed such consistency when it comes to its aging A330 and non-Qsuite 777 fleet...
Sorry, QR’s first A320neo will not be registered A7-AJF. That registration was not delivered to QR, and ended up with none other than IndiGo in 2017, so I messed up there by looking up the wrong registration for the new A320neo. Apologies!
Given the current bad blood between the governments of India and Turkey, one shouldn’t be surprised to see QR and 6E deepen ties all the more (6E also partners with TK and leases...
Sorry, QR’s first A320neo will not be registered A7-AJF. That registration was not delivered to QR, and ended up with none other than IndiGo in 2017, so I messed up there by looking up the wrong registration for the new A320neo. Apologies!
Given the current bad blood between the governments of India and Turkey, one shouldn’t be surprised to see QR and 6E deepen ties all the more (6E also partners with TK and leases two 777s from it, but that might not last much longer)...
Wasn't this the order that got all that news AFTER Trump went to the middle east and claimed he was a master deal maker?
Anyone who believes, after the DOJ moved to shield Boeing from prosecution following the deaths of 167 people in Boeing Max aircraft with inherent design faults, that Boeing in not the recipient of American protectionist actions, they must be seriously deluded. Airbus aircraft are superior to Boeing aircraft but in the same way the US government is promoting and protecting US carmakers when Asian car makers clearly make better products, Boeing is still the "golden...
Anyone who believes, after the DOJ moved to shield Boeing from prosecution following the deaths of 167 people in Boeing Max aircraft with inherent design faults, that Boeing in not the recipient of American protectionist actions, they must be seriously deluded. Airbus aircraft are superior to Boeing aircraft but in the same way the US government is promoting and protecting US carmakers when Asian car makers clearly make better products, Boeing is still the "golden boy" in their sight. The President just accepted a 747 from Qatar. The 747 is probably the last really great plane Boeing manufactured. No ones expecting the US government to order an Airbus for Air Force one, but lets face it, it'd almost certainly be a better and more modern aircraft. But then Boeings survival has always depended more on their government contracts than it has on their ability to build modern, safe aircraft. If only the world was a fair place, we'd have far more Airbus planes in the sky and far fewer aging, unreliable, archaic Boeing aircraft.
Also Jason, you say that Frump should impose sanctions on Qatar immediately.
Is that the same Qatar that “gifted” / bribed him (with) a $400 million dollar aircraft? Along side a 2.5 BILLION dollar golf course ?
May I suggest that you use some of your “superior American English and have a little think about it…………..I’ll wait……….
Jason old chap, Have a look at this and let it sink in. Sometimes a different viewpoint is illuminating …..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCoGxnCti3U
Or:
The Case Against Boeing on Netflix if you have it. Sobering stuff indeed.
How about writing a blog post about Airbus vs. Boeing? Compare aircraft, business culture, etc. Would be a great read.
Certainly doesn't hurt my feelings. I feel very nervous flying on Maxes. I have no choice at times but have never been comfortable after the coverups from the ET and LionAir crashes. I still don't trust that training and countermeasures were implemented to an acceptable degree.
They clearly delayed this by a week so as not to embarrass Donald Trump.
rrapynot, one suspects that QR will not be the last to see the light.
I implore Trump to place sanctions on Qatar immediately! Whoever embarasses the United states this way must be harshly dealt with and humiliated on the world stage. How dare they not buy superior engineering and instead settle for inferior european products made by people who can't even speak English!
No me hablo francisco, me only hablo Americano ( this means I don't speak French, only English in French)
Poor demented soul Jason, you really are sinking in the troubled waters ….
Woosh...!
I can't believe how many people took the bait
I personally would have thought that QR would convert these to Max 8s or even Max 7s
Let's see if they live to regret this order cancellation (Probably not lol)
No one regrets cancelling Maxes
There's some truly ignorant, and stupid, people commenting here.
Quite true Minimus, those who blindly decry QR and attempt to defend the indefensible Boeing are as you point out quite ….“Ignorant”.
Where's your proof? Care to provide some?
It seems like everything happening to Boeing looks like dying a slow death
Except that they have had record orders this year and avoided a criminal convinction.
Also any country that wants to increase US imports can most easily do this by buying planes
Was there a technical resolution to the dispute over the A350 fuselage deterioration? Was it ever resolved? Was it allowed to fade away quietly? Was it merely His Excellency AAB being AAB?
I don't think there is a permanent solution yet. (At least not fully applied to all flying A350)
Saw an Air China A350 depart Milan for Beijing a week ago. The part of fuselage around the cockpit windshield was severely lacking paint/cosmetic. (Very obvious from a distance)
many airlines whose countries want to have positive relations with the US have to have a split Airbus-Boeing fleet.
Boeing has long done a better job competitively with widebodies and the 777X will be the largest airplane available - when it is delivered - which appeals to the Middle East airlines. The A321NEO family is simply more capable.
What the fluff ChatGPTim.
Prepare to cut ties with Spain and Italy?
Iberia?
ITA?
Are these going to be expelled by Donald?
JetBlue!!!!!!!!
Spirit!!!!!!
Frontier!!!!!!!!
seriously. give it a rest.
Yes, Boeing has long been the dominant player in the widebody aircraft market and Airbus has overtaken Boeing in the narrowbody market by a substantial margin.
The A330 family is the second most popular widebody behind the B777 family but Boeing has multiple widebody families with 1000+ deliveries.
Airbus not only built a more capable A320 that has been more successful as a stretch than the B737 family and that...
seriously. give it a rest.
Yes, Boeing has long been the dominant player in the widebody aircraft market and Airbus has overtaken Boeing in the narrowbody market by a substantial margin.
The A330 family is the second most popular widebody behind the B777 family but Boeing has multiple widebody families with 1000+ deliveries.
Airbus not only built a more capable A320 that has been more successful as a stretch than the B737 family and that is why Airbus has won the narrowbody market, even before they took over the C Series as the A220 family.
and let's see where the tariffs all go but Airbus has said they will absorb tariffs on Airbus aircraft built in Mobile but not on European built aircraft - which includes the XLR. Since the 320XLR is not currently built in MOB, it is AA and UA that are most exposed to it since most of the rest of the US airlines can take A320NEO family aircraft that are built in MOB.
and DL has succeeded at avoided Airbus widebodies by not bringing them to the US if tariffs are involved. I would suspect that the Donald's decision to push back tariffs against Europe for 90 days might lead to a rush of paperwork by DL to "import" the bunch of 330NEOs and 350s that DL has received from Airbus so far this year with more to follow in the next few weeks.
seriously. Stop with the fluff.
You're still doing it.
Twisting facts and keep them buried in so many paragraphs of fluff.
Good Lord, the A350 was a brand new design and superior in every way to any 777, including the perpetually delayed X. I will quite actively choose an A350 flight over a 777 flight if I can get similar timings and pricing. Even on Qatar itself, they serve a lot of cities in the USA, and I can typically choose to connect in any one of them to DOH. And I usually choose a city with A350 service.
the A350 was designed as a competitor to the B787 family - and offered a few years later. the 777 is not in the same class as the A350.
and the 777x will be a modified 777 not unlike the A330NEO is compared to the A330CEO. Boeing will get comparable economics per seat by putting more seats in the 777X, mostly the 777-9.
The A350 will very likely be Airbus' best selling widebody in time...
the A350 was designed as a competitor to the B787 family - and offered a few years later. the 777 is not in the same class as the A350.
and the 777x will be a modified 777 not unlike the A330NEO is compared to the A330CEO. Boeing will get comparable economics per seat by putting more seats in the 777X, mostly the 777-9.
The A350 will very likely be Airbus' best selling widebody in time but, again, Boeing has had multiple widebody families that have sold over 1000 copies. Boeing has a very strong headstart on dominating the widebody market and the 777X' strongest appeal is that it will be the largest aircraft available and that matters for a lot of carriers including the Middle East carriers that were big customers for the A380 and will be for the B777X
Guy, what kraut have you smoked. The A350 at the end got crafted based on a few major airlines needs, in particular Singapur. It's too big to be considered to be a 767 replacement, what the 787 is. So please stop it. Airbus initially wanted a 330ceo replacement and offered it as A350 instead as A330neo, what would have been a better choice.
Consider the 777X as equally advanced as the 787 or the...
Guy, what kraut have you smoked. The A350 at the end got crafted based on a few major airlines needs, in particular Singapur. It's too big to be considered to be a 767 replacement, what the 787 is. So please stop it. Airbus initially wanted a 330ceo replacement and offered it as A350 instead as A330neo, what would have been a better choice.
Consider the 777X as equally advanced as the 787 or the A350 is wishful thinking of a true blue Boeing fan boy. Please stop it! The 777X is an embarrassing compromise to compensate for the fact, that the carbon architecture of the 787 is too expansive to be scaled up to the size of the 777-9. Hell read up differences between the IML and OML production methods, and the consequences of Boeing's choice to build whole fuselage segments instead of segments like Airbus.
About Middle East carriers -> Quid Pro Quo
The genius the US elected as the current president is pushing quid pro quo to the max. Quid pro quo and supporting other authoritarians is all he's able to. All the latest ME Boeing orders including Emirates are no surprise, and so is the Air China Boeing order. Protection by the US Navy has its price.
This right here shows you know nothing about aircraft.... Number one the direct competion to the A350 is the 787 and its is far better than the A350 and the 777 is a PROVEN aircraft unlike the A350.
A positive decision. No one wants to fly those death traps, and it is beneath the quality of them as well as a pointless fleet inconsistency. A320 is a superior aircraft by a very long mile.
What is wrong with you? You are speaking Englihs, the superor American language, and you can't even defend our nation's superior engineering? Shame on you for not flying the best aircraft in the world!
“Shame on you” Jason, for believing the Boeing propaganda.
Some of these inane and trite comments remind me of A.net from past decades ago.
Try something different.
To my simple mind this would appear to be the logical conclusion to the whole Max debacle.
How anyone could be surprised by this decision is beyond my comprehension.