More aircraft for Qatar Airways
DOHA • Qatar Airways is expected to announce a major aircraft order from Airbus Industrie at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK, to be held from July 14 to July 20.
While airline officials here remain tight-lipped, it is significant the airline and the plane-maker will be holding a joint press conference at the Airbus chalet in Farnborough.
When Qatar Airways first started up, it was a die-hard Airbus customer before the airline decided to diversify its fleet and began to induct Boeings. Qatar Airways already has orders for over 200 new aircraft, combining for a value of an estimated $30bn. The airline will add a third Boeing 777 to its 62-strong fleet later this summer.
Aircraft which it has on order include 80 Airbus A350s, five A380 super-jumbos, 60 Boeing 787 'Dreamliners' and 30 Boeing 777s.
Manufacturers are now increasingly looking to the Middle East, particularly the GCC region, to shore up their order books. While soaring jet fuel prices have led to airlines all over the world cutting down on aircraft orders or even grounding jets, the GCC is where most orders are now coming from.
Other than Qatar Airways, carriers like Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Dubai-based Emirates Airline, for example, are on a buying spree, fuelled by rising revenues from high oil and gas prices. Etihad has already said a big announcement is set to be made from its side at Farnborough for an order of 50 to 100 planes. Emirates, too, will undoubtedly order more aircraft, perhaps even adding to the 58 A380s it has already booked with the European manufacturer.
Qatar Airways will require more aircraft as its present fleet strength has meant it has not been able to embark on route expansions as quickly as it would have liked. Australia, for instance, will have to wait due to a shortage of long-range aircraft and delayed deliveries due to assembly line problems are not helping at all.
However, Qatar Airways has agreements in place with plane-makers allowing it to receive suitable cash compensation for any delays in deliveries of aircraft.
The airline will once again take part in Farnborough, held every two years, with the delegation to be led by Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO. The airline will have a chalet of its own for VIP guests. It will be the only carrier to have an exhibit at Farnborough, usually a destination for manufacturers of aircraft and aviation-related equipment.