In an interview with Bloomberg, CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer confirmed that Qatar Airways had made the proper decision to withdraw its buy for 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10s in late May 2025. a decision that puts an end to the airline’s short-lived interest in the form and completely transforms its narrowbody strategy. The package, which also had options for 25 more, was placed during the 2022 Farnborough Airshow, at a time when the firm’s connection with Airbus was at an all-time lower. The airline was positioning the deal as a solution for the airline’s local network, with then-CEO Stan Deal praising the aircraft as “ideally suited for Qatar Airways ‘ local network.” Two years later, delays in the 737 MAX 10’s certification, which has pushed its anticipated entry into business service to Qatar Airways is not the only airline in the waiting list for these failures; other big airlines like United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are even waiting, growing frustrated. In fact, Andrew Nocella, United’s chief business officer, claimed that the airline is anxious to change any MAX 9 purchases into MAX 10s because the 737 MAX 10 isn’t anticipated to appear before 2027 or even 2028. Nocella stated,” We want to see the aeroplane certified before we make the company devotion.” In contrast, Qatar Airways made the decision to abandon everything.
A Falling Out and a Reconciliation With Airbus
Qatar’s decision to buy the 737 MAX 10s in 2022 was not solely based on performance measures; it was a result of an ongoing legal and business dispute with Airbus. Qatar Airways discontinued all 29 of its Airbus A350s in the same year, citing what it termed “accelerated area decay” of the plane’s painted aircraft. In response, the airline filed a lawsuit demanding$ 600 million in damages from Airbus and publicly questioned the A350 fleet’s safety and airworthiness. Airbus continued to deliver the aircraft despite acknowledging decorative and surface problems and maintaining its structural integrity. During this divisive fight:
- Qatar Airways ended its get for 23 Airbus A350s.
- A separate purchase for 50 Airbus A321neos, which are essential to the airline’s short-haul operations, was even cancelled.
The Boeing 737 MAX 10 was brought in to bridge that gap as Qatar Airways partially cut ties with Airbus at the height of the consequences. However, the conflict finally came to an end in first 2023. In a joint statement, Qatar Airways and Airbus announced that their legal debate involving A350 area degradation and the wiring of A350 aircraft had been settled amicably. Both parties are anticipating having these plane safely returned to the air as a repair project is currently in progress. Following this, Airbus and Qatar reinstated their plans to deliver the grounded A321neos, and Qatar reinstated their orders for 50 A321neos. The agreement restore the voice of the Qatar-Airbus marriage as well as its fleet development plans.
Why Are Boeing Narrowbodies Out and Airbus Is Back In?
Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Qatar Airways ‘ CEO, confirmed in an appointment with Bloomberg that the flight had abandoned the MAX 10 attempt, which also had possibilities for 25 additional plane. He revealed that this choice was made in conjunction with a significant new Boeing widebody get that beat the narrowbody deal in value. Qatar Airways placed its largest-ever plane attempt earlier this month, agreeing to acquire 130 Boeing 787 Aircraft and 30 Boeing 777-9s with choices for an additional 50, making a possible total of 210 widebodies worth$ 96 billion. Al Meer responded to a question about whether the airline was playing Boeing and Airbus against each other by saying,” For the time being, we need to concentrate on finalizing our agreement with Boeing. As you can see, we are different from other airlines where we divide our orders by 20 today and 20 the following year. Because we chose to place the order using a very strong strategy, we made the decision to use the 210 aircraft. However, that doesn’t mean Airbus is no longer a leader. Our narrowbody will continue to be Airbus.” Al Meer reiterated the airline’s direction in a separate public comment, saying that” Our narrowbody [fleet ] will continue to be Airbus. Starting the following year, we will start receiving 50 A321neos. So Airbus will essentially run our entire narrowbody fleet. There is always a chance for another order from Airbus, and we continue to receive A350-1000s.
What Qatar Airways ‘ fleet currently looks like and what’s in store.
Qatar Airways currently has a limited narrowbody fleet that includes:
Current Narrowbody Fleet
- 27 Airbus A320s
- Two types of configurations:
- Version 1: 12 Business + 120 Economy = 132 seats
- Version 2: 12 Business + 132 Economy = 144 seats
- Two types of configurations:
- 3 Boeing 737 MAX 8s
- 8 Business + 168 Economy = 176 seats
Numerous MAX 8s that were previously owned by Qatar Airways have already been leased to IndiGo for use on Indian-Dominican flights. The remaining three are expected to be phased out soon, keeping with the airline’s strategy to standardize its narrowbody fleet around Airbus.
Airbus Pipeline Orders
- 40 Airbus A321neos
- 10 Airbus A321LRs
- 2026 will start the delivery process.
Widebody Fleet at Present and Future
| Type of aircraft | In Fleet | On time |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A350-1000 | 24 | 18 |
| Boeing 787 | 41 | 130 |
| Boeing 777X | 0 | 90 |
Qatar Airways is already the largest global operator of the Airbus A350-1000. The typical configuration of an aircraft is two:
- 24 Business + 371 Economy = 395 passengers
- 46 Business + 182 Economy = Premium-heavy layout
The airline’s hub at Doha Hamad International Airport ( DOH) will have one of the most cutting-edge widebody fleets in the world in the years to come.
What’s Next? More Airbus orders may come in the future.
Qatar Airways may also return to Airbus for additional widebodies, despite Boeing’s record-breaking order for the widebody. Included are the following possibilities:
- More A350s to add to the airline’s current dominance of that type.
- Airbus A330-900s, a potential replacement for its aging A330-200s and A330-300s.
As Qatar Airways seeks to refine and grow its fleet under a disciplined, long-term strategy, Qatar Airways ‘ renewed ties to Airbus open the door to further agreements. The airline clearly doesn’t want to diversify just for the sake of it; instead, it wants to be more efficient, flexible, and aligned with its growth goals. With a growing backlog of 737 MAX 10 orders, the manufacturer is now under increasing pressure to overcome regulatory obstacles that have kept the aircraft grounded during the certification process. Numerous major carriers are considering their long-term fleet plans as a result of the delays. United Airlines, one of the aircraft’s largest customers, has expressed serious concern over delivery dates, and Qatar Airways is not the only airline to step back from the MAX 10. The certification timeline is being closely monitored by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines, who all have MAX 10 orders in the works. Some are reportedly considering changing their minds or changing their current commitments.
