Qatar Airways in talks with Airbus, Boeing for ‘triple digit’ plane order

Image credit: Getty Images

Qatar Airways is in talks with plane makers Airbus and Boeing for a major wide-body order, its chief executive said on Monday.

CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer confirmed to reporters that a report about the airline’s talks with Airbus to order A350 and Boeing 777X wide-body jets was largely correct.

Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that the airline was in discussions to buy some 200 aircraft split between Airbus and Boeing.

Al Meer confirmed talks for a three-digit order but said the number of jets being mentioned was off by around 30 per cent. He declined to say if it was higher or lower than the reported figure.

Qatar Airways looks to expand flights ‘down under’

The Qatari flag carrier is in talks with the Australian government to increase the number of routes the airline operates to the country, its chief executive said on Monday.

A request by the state-owned airline to operate more routes to Australia was rejected last year.

“We continue our communication with the Australian government, and we see it moving in a positive way,” Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer told reporters in Dubai.

“Hopefully in the next few months we will get some positive news from Australia. We are looking forward to expand and grow more in the Australia market,” he said.

The Qatar Airways CEO was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing IATA Annual General Meeting in Dubai.

Read: Qatar Airways becomes first MENA airline to roll out Starlink wifi