Qatar Airwaysannounced on 19 June its biggest aircraft acquisition in its history at the Paris Air Show. Under the $5,100 million deal, the carrier agreed to acquire up to 32 aircraft from Toulouse-based Airbus, which will double the airline's fleet.
According to Airbus, the 32-aircraft deal will cover 18 aircraft on firm order and 14 as options. The firm orders involve two A321s, eight A330-200s, six A330-300s and two A340-600s. Deliveries of the A321 and A330s are due to begin in the spring of 2004, while the A340-600s are due to be delivered in the summer of 2006. In addition, Qatar Airways is to lease two Airbus A330-200s from the US' General Electric Capital Aviation Services. The options are for a further six A330s and eight A340-600s.
The announcement of the deal was a blow to The Boeing Companyof the US, which had said that it was in the running to supply the airline with its 777. Qatar Airways currently flies an all-Airbus fleet, comprising nine A300-600s, an A310, two A319s, 10 A320s five A330-200s, and one A340-200. It is also due to take delivery in early 2009 of two A380s.
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