- Qatar Airways has placed a record-breaking order for 160 Boeing aircraft in a deal worth up to US$96 billion.
- The agreement, signed during President Trump’s visit to Doha, includes options for 50 more jets and strengthens US-Qatar aviation ties.
- Analysts warn that due to backlogs and certification delays, the new aircraft will take at least five years to be delivered.
DOHA, 15 May — US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Qatar Airways had placed a “record” order for 160 planes from Boeing, as he signed a raft of deals in Doha alongside Qatar’s emir.
The order, Boeing’s largest ever for its wide-body jets, deepens ties between the US aerospace giant and the major Middle Eastern carrier.
Qatar Airways will honour a “US$96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines,” according to a White House fact sheet.
“This is Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order,” it said.
The order includes 130 Dreamliner planes and 30 Boeing 777-9 jets, which are still being certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration. There are also options for 50 additional 787 and 777X planes, according to a Boeing news release.
“We are deeply honoured that Qatar Airways has placed this record-breaking order with Boeing, one that solidifies their future fleet,” Boeing commercial plane chief Stephanie Pope said.
The order represents a win for new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, although analysts noted that the planes will not be delivered for at least five years due to industry backlogs.
Both Boeing and rival Airbus, which has also sold extensively to Qatar Airways, have struggled in recent years with supply chain problems as they have taken thousands of plane orders amid strong airline demand. Boeing has also faced safety and labour problems that have limited output.
Ortberg joined Trump for part of Wednesday’s signing ceremony, which also included defence agreements and the purchase by Qatar of American MQ-9B drones, after about two hours of talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
“It’s over US$200 billion but 160 in terms of the jets. That’s fantastic. So that’s a record,” Trump said, adding: “It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing. That’s pretty good.”
The list prices of the 777X and 787 Dreamliner suggest the total value of the Boeing deal is well under US$200 billion. The US$96 billion figure in the White House fact sheet also appears to include some business for GE Aerospace.
Plane backlog
Trump’s Qatar visit is the second stop of his Gulf tour, after Riyadh, where he made a surprise announcement lifting sanctions on Syria and met the country’s president.
Relations between Washington and Doha have been in the spotlight over Qatar’s offer to Trump of a US$400 million luxury aircraft to serve as a new Air Force One and then pass into his personal use.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Tuesday that he would hold up Trump’s Justice Department political appointees in protest, saying, “This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat.”
Since 2016, Boeing has received 118 gross orders from Qatar Airways and delivered 65 planes to the carrier, according to Boeing’s website.
Morningstar analyst Nicolas Owens said the order represents “good news” for Boeing, but noted that it would be years before Boeing receives revenues for the jets in Wednesday’s order.
“If you’re ordering a plane today it’s not going to be on your landing strip for at least five years,” Owens said.
Owens said the announcement is also a “vote of confidence” in the much-delayed 777X, which is still awaiting certification, with Boeing pointing to first deliveries in 2026.
A press release from Qatar Airways praised the new 777 planes for reducing fuel use and emissions by 25 per cent compared to the aircraft they will replace.
Ortberg joined Boeing in August 2024 following a leadership shake-up after a series of safety and quality control problems. He has focused on upgrading Boeing’s operations under the close scrutiny of US air safety regulators, saying improving Boeing’s corporate culture will take time.
Shares of Boeing rose 0.6 per cent. — AFP
