Qatar Airways Scraps 737 MAX Order

Qatar Airways has seemingly all but confirmed it will no longer take delivery of 737 MAX jets in the future.

In a Bloomberg TV interview, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer discussed the prospect of ordering more Airbus aircraft and said its new commercial aircraft orders were done despite a mammoth one confirmed with Boeing.

However, there were also comments about the type of aircraft that the carrier would study to help power its future fleet. Notably absent was the requirement for more widebody jets.

At this stage, Qatar Airways likely finds itself in a position where up to 210 additional widebodies from Boeing are just about what it requires for future flying.

Notably, Qatar Airways’ focus now rests on how single-aisle planes from the Airbus portfolio can aid it in the coming decades. This caused some discussion, considering the airline had previously committed to the 737 MAX.

Badr Al-Meer, the airline’s CEO, confirmed the future will emphasise the development of its single-aisle fleet just as much as its widebody operation, and that development will be thanks to Airbus.

As part of those comments, he confirmed that it will scrap its order for the 737 MAX in favour of proceeding with the European planemaker.

With innovations such as those visible through the A321XLR, the European planemaker has become more appealing to most airlines.

Doubt Clouds The Qatar Airways Order

Qatar Airways’ purchase of the 737-10, which included 25 units, has been a constant topic of conversation in recent years.

Despite the order coming through in mid-2022, it was notably placed during tensions between Airbus and the Doha-based carrier. Essentially, the commitment to purchase planes from Boeing was an act of retaliation.

However, Qatar Airways and Airbus would repair their relationship, and the 737-10, which was expected to be part of the company’s future fleet, now seems more uncertain, with those reports coming even in 2024.

While options could’ve existed to leverage the 737 MAX deal and place the aircraft at partner airlines to fuel their growth and have planes delivered quicker to capture the airline’s market share, it now appears the focus will shift to Airbus.

With so many Airbus A321neo aircraft on order, a deal extending its commitment to this aircraft family would make the most sense, especially with the previous MAX deal now seemingly all but confirmed to have no future in the operation.