Boeing lands huge airplane order from Qatar Airways

Boeing said Monday that Qatar Airways ordered up to 50 large cargo planes and committed to buying up to 50 Boeing 737 Max jets, a huge win for the U.S. aircraft maker over European rival Airbus.

The companies did not disclose financial terms. The list price of the planes would total about $27 billion, but airlines routinely get deep discounts.

Boeing swooped in to land the orders shortly after Airbus canceled a Qatar Airways order because of an unusually public and bitter fight over Qatar’s complaints about paint jobs on a different model Airbus jet.

The order for cargo planes was announced during a signing ceremony at the White House that was attended by executives from the airline and Boeing and officials from both governments.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo touted it as a “deal of historic significance” that will support jobs for American workers.

“It’s a win for our workers, our manufacturers and our suppliers,” Raimondo said.

Boeing said Qatar Airways will be the first airline to operate the 777-8, a cargo-carrying version of the twin-aisle 777. The airline placed a firm order for 34 planes and took options for 16 more.

It’s the largest order ever for Boeing cargo planes, the Chicago-based company said.

Demand for cargo planes has held up despite – or perhaps because of – the pandemic.

The downturn in international travel since early 2020 means there are fewer passenger planes carrying cargo in their bellies. That puts a premium on cargo-only flights.

“Cargo is the only healthy part of the large aircraft market,” said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with AeroDynamics Advisory in Washington.

Boeing has long dominated the cargo plane market

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