Qatar Airways Cancels Order for 25 Boeing 737 Aircraft

According to reports from Bloomberg and the aviation website "Simple Flying," Qatar Airways senior executives recently confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that the airline will cancel its order for 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, originally placed amid disputes with Airbus.

Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer disclosed this update while discussing the airline’s recent order for 160 Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft. When questioned whether Airbus was no longer under consideration, he denied such claims.

Reports from December last year indicated that Qatar Airways might cancel the order for 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft. Bloomberg cited sources stating that the reason discussed in negotiations was that this aircraft type no longer aligns with the airline’s fleet needs. Initial speculation suggested the order might be converted to 737 MAX 8 models instead of outright cancellation, but Qatar Airways ultimately chose to cancel the entire order. The earliest deliveries of these aircraft were expected by the end of 2025.

Qatar Airways is currently refocusing on Airbus for its short-haul route strategy. After canceling the Boeing 737 MAX 10 order, all remaining narrow-body aircraft orders are with Airbus.

Several years ago, Qatar Airways engaged in a legal dispute with Airbus over fuselage wear issues on the A350 aircraft. Due to safety concerns, the airline was forced to ground multiple aircraft. In January 2021, Qatar Airways filed a lawsuit against Airbus seeking over USD 600 million in damages, which led Airbus to cancel Qatar’s 50 A321 aircraft order and remove the remaining 23 undelivered A350 aircraft from its order book. Both orders were reinstated in early 2023 after the dispute was settled.

Additionally, last week Qatar Airways signed an agreement with Boeing for 160 aircraft, comprising 30 Boeing 777X and 130 Boeing 787 jets, with a total deal value estimated at USD 96 billion. The agreement also includes purchase options for 50 additional aircraft of each model.