Qatar Airways has this week revealed to CNBC that they are looking to place another aircraft order with Airbus or Boeing or both. Who will win?
It is understood the airline has sent out an Request for Proposal (RFP) to both planemakers.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
The News from Qatar Airways…
Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer confirmed this news to the American news outlet this week.
With no details on numbers, Al Meer said that it would be a “big” order.
In a new era for the airline following the departure of Akbar al Baker, Al Meer wishes to revolutionise the passenger experience further.
This includes the return of a First Class product to aircraft other than the Airbus A380.
In the last few years, the QSuite product has been the eclectic mix of Business & First Class.
Al Meer did also confirm that the product would get a strong redesign within this process as well.
Will Both Manufacturers Get A Piece of the Pie?
At the moment, it is unclear whether both manufacturers will get a piece of the pie.
With Qatar Airways, the relationship with Airbus & Boeing have been strained at certain points over the last few years.
On the European side, there was a major lawsuit involving their Airbus A350 aircraft and surface erosion.
This was eventually solved amicably in March 2023, which drew a line under the sand.
On the Boeing side, Qatar Airways has of course experienced delays to it’s 737 MAX & 777X orders as well.
However, Al Meer is confident that both planemakers will be able to deliver on the RFP that they have put out.
So, at this stage, it will be an intense battle between the two sides in this regard to win the order.
This is even more so as Al Meer wants to reset the tensioned relationship Qatar Airways has had in the past with both planemakers.
When Will An Order Be Announced?
At this stage, this is a very early process, as the RFP has only just been sent out by Qatar Airways.
It ultimately depends on how quickly Airbus & Boeing get back to them.
Whether an order will be made at the Farnborough Air Show this year is also unclear as well.
But what we do know is that yet another blockbuster order for aircraft is on the way from Qatar Airways.
Overall…
In conclusion, this order from Qatar Airways with Boeing or Airbus will be one to look out for.
Whether they choose Airbus or Boeing, or both, this will represent the next stage in global expansion.
The airline has been busy in the last few months adding or resuming new routes, as we saw laid out at ITB Berlin earlier this month.
For now, all eyes will be on what comes from this, as well as what global expansion we will see as a result going into the future.
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