Qatar Airways to acquire up to 100 Boeing twin-aisle, single-aisle commercial jets

WASHINGTON, 10 Oct. 2016. Qatar Airways officials in Doha, Qatar, have expressed interest in acquiring up to 100 commercial passenger jets from Boeing (NYSE:BA); they placed an order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and 10 Boeing 777-300ER twin-aisle airplanes, valued at $11.7 billion at list prices, and signed a letter of intent for up to 60 Boeing 737 MAX 8 single-aisle commercial jets, valued at $6.9 billion at list prices.

Qatar Airways currently operates a fleet of 84 Boeing aircraft, a combination of 787s and 777s, all delivered over the last nine years. With this new order, Qatar Airways increases its firm order backlog of Boeing widebody airplanes from 65 to 105, including 60 Boeing 777X jets.

"Qatar Airways, already one of the fastest growing airlines in the history of aviation, today announces a significant and historic aircraft order that will power our future growth for the years and the decades ahead," says Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. "Boeing has proven to be a valuable partner, and today's announcement is testament to our appreciation of the quality of their product and their dedication to providing world class customer service."

Qatar Airways was the first to operate the 787 in the Middle East and is a launch customer for the 777X. With the commitment for the 737 MAX 8, it would be the first Boeing single-aisle airplane model to join Qatar Airways' fleet in more than 15 years.

"Beyond its importance for these two companies, this agreement demonstrates the importance of global commercial partnerships in strengthening our bilateral ties. This deal will strengthen economic opportunity and job creation, and highlights the importance of strong global trading relationships," says U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

The 777-300ER is a reliable twin-aisle airplane adopted by the world's elite airlines. “It has the highest schedule reliability of any twin-aisle airplane at 99.5 percent – the airplane is on time, nearly all the time,” according to a Boeing representative.

The 787-9 Dreamliner, the second member of the 787 family and a stretch version of the 787-8, can fly 290 passengers 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km) in addition to more cargo, allowing airlines the ability to grow routes.

Boeing's newest family of single-aisle airplanes – 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 9, and 737 MAX 200 – is designed to deliver unsurpassed fuel efficiency in the single-aisle market, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2017, officials say.

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