Qatar Airways under the new leadership of Eng. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer highlights exactly why we should look out for the airline in 2024.
The airline has got massive plans on the way for growth, with some announcements around the corner.
Al-Meer himself revealed this via an exclusive interview with CNBC earlier this week.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
Upgraded Version of QSuite To Be Unveiled in Farnborough…
First off, Qatar Airways is expected to reveal the upgraded version of the QSuite at the upcoming Farnborough Air Show.
It is understood that this upgraded suite will debut first on the Boeing 777X.
On top of this, Al-Meer also revealed that a brand new First Class product will be coming to the skies in the years ahead.
This also will debut with the Boeing 777X as well, in a move which does see the airline using the aircraft for their overall brand push.
The A380s Are Here to Stay…
Al-Meer also confirmed some great news for the Airbus A380s with Qatar Airways.
They are remaining in operation. In the interview with CNBC’s Dan Murphy, he said the following:
“We’re keeping the A380s in operation”.
“We see very high demand in certain markets, and the only aircraft that can carry this number of passengers is the A380”.
This comes as no surprise, with air travel rebounding on a post-pandemic basis in the last few years.
However, this will open up options for Qatar Airways in terms of product refurbishments later down the line.
The “Big Order” Expected to be Widebodies…
There has been talk over the last few weeks that Qatar Airways is going to make a “big order”.
Al-Meer addressed this openly, and said that both Airbus & Boeing will prepare proposals for the airline.
Furthermore, this could mean orders for either the Airbus A350 or 787/777X from Boeing.
Al-Meer did confirm that this order would be for widebodies only.
When pressed about timescale, Al-Meer said that due to the size of the order, that time would need to be taken on it.
This could potentially rule out the possibility of an order announcement at the Farnborough Air Show this year.
But again, stranger things have happened.
Key Markets Identified For Overall Expansion…
Looking to the future, Qatar Airways under the tenure of Al-Meer has already identified areas for expansion.
He has confirmed that the airline wants to expand it’s presence in the following countries:
- China
- India
- Australia
- Japan
- Korea
He added that the airline has “the highest load factors in the region”, and wants to compete more in that space.
This, of course, would link up with the need to secure more widebody aircraft from either Boeing or Airbus.
Either way, the next few years in terms of route expansion look to be busy and exciting at Qatar Airways.
Overall…
What this interview with Al-Meer has shown is a rejuvenation of life at Qatar Airways.
With Al-Meer wanting to enthuse a new message to their customers and audience, this is certainly the right way to go about it.
Furthermore, we will no doubt see a significant culture shift which is encouraging this growth.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on what the new QSuite will look like when unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show.
On top of this, all eyes will be on who wins the widebody order: Will it be Boeing or Airbus or both?
In conclusion, Qatar Airways looks to be preparing for what is expected to be a very successful second half of the decade.
Click the banner to subscribe to our weekly newsleter.
Click the photo to join our WhatsApp channel so then you can stay up to date with everything going on in the aviation industry!
