Qatar Airways to place large freighter order

Doha: Qatar Airways is planning to place a large freighter order to meet its growing freighter business, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive H E Akbar Al Baker (pictured) has said.  

“We are seriously looking at placing a large freighter order because we are also growing our freighter business, we need to be sustainable in that and we are going to imminently place a large freighter order,” said Al Baker, while addressing a press conference held on the occasion of arrival of latest generation 777-9 test aircraft at the Doha International Airport (DIA). “Of course I cannot tell you with whom we are going to place that order but one thing I can say that the proposal we have received from Boeing is very attractive to the airline,” he added. 

Qatar Airways is constantly investing in aeroplanes and the average fleet age of Qatar’s national carrier is the youngest of any major carrier in the world. “When I say we are getting a very attractive proposition from Boeing is because not on the price but on the performance of the aeroplane. We do not only look at the price we look at the performance and I think the aircraft that Boeing is developing will outperform the current fleet that we have,” he added.

Qatar Airways has played a very important role in developing this aeroplane as the airline gives top priority to passengers’ safety and comfort. Qatar Airways was the launch customer ordering 60 of these aircraft to join the Qatar Airways fleet. “We will receive our first aircraft during 2023 in just under two years time,” he added.