Qatar Airways PJSC is nearing a decision on a major widebody order split between Boeing and Airbus, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Middle East carrier is looking at ordering about 200 jets, looking at a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777X models, with a decision possible as soon as the Farnborough Air Show in Britain late next month, the report said.
Airbus said it is constantly in talks with customers about fleet needs but did not disclose any details, while Boeing deferred to Qatar Airways when asked for a comment.
It was not immediately clear whether the slowdown would put at risk overall delivery targets for 2024 since deliveries lag output decisions by months, but the sources said assembly of several dozen jets could be delayed in the second half. Several airlines could see individual deliveries – already running an average of 1.5 months behind schedule – further delayed, the sources said, asking not to be identified.
Qatar Airways declined to respond to a Reuters request for comment. Bloomberg had reported in March that Qatar Airways was in early talks with Boeing and Airbus to order 100 to 150 widebody jets to expand and renew its fleet.
Major airlines are in a race to procure new fuel-efficient widebody jets to keep operating costs down and cater to booming international travel demand.
