The state-owned flag carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways, has dropped its purchase of 25 Boeing 737 MAX jets.
But the carrier is considering expanding its existing order for Boeing 777X aircraft.
Speaking to media at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2022, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker confirmed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Doha-based airline and US manufacturer Boeing had expired, meaning that the carrier has dropped its plans to buy 25 737 MAX planes as well as options for a further 25 aircraft.
The deal between parties was officially announced in January 2022. At the time, Qatar Airways expressed its interest in the Boeing 737 MAX 10 variant, the largest model of the 737 MAX family and capable of flying up to 230 passengers in a single cabin configuration. The carrier initiated negotiations with Boeing for 50 MAX single-aisle jets after European plane manufacturer Airbus canceled an outstanding A321neo order for a total of 50 planes.
The total value of the 737 MAX 10s, which were expected to serve Qatar Airways’ short-haul flight network, was around $7 billion at list prices at the time.
Even though the MoU for 737 MAXs has expired, the chief executive said that Qatar Airways may place “a larger order” for additional Boeing 777X wide-body aircraft. However, he did not disclose the number of planes that the carrier is considering adding to the existing order.
The Gulf carrier currently has a total of 74 planes on order (both passenger and freighter versions), all of them powered by GE9X engines.