Prime Highlights
- Qatar Airways seal $96 billion order to buy 160 widebody aircraft as President Trump visits Doha.
- Deal is biggest-ever order expansion of Boeing’s widebody airplane order and GE Aerospace’s biggest engine order in history.
Key Facts
- About 130 of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 30 of Boeing 777X aircraft will be bought, which will support 400 GE Aerospace engines.
- Signed on 14 May 2025 before US President Donald Trump and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Key Background
In a record-breaking commercial flying deal, Qatar Airways purchased the buying of 160 wide-body planes, 130 787 Dreamliners, and 30 777X planes for $96 billion from Boeing. This 14 May 2025 signed contract in Doha following President Donald Trump’s official visit to Qatar is Boeing’s biggest ever widebody aircraft buy. The deal was signed by Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, marking the scale and seriousness of the deal.
The deal flip is that it selected GE Aerospace as its sole engine supplier. GE’s GEnx to power the Dreamliners and GE9X to power the 777X aircraft were its first choice, with the 400-engine order. It’s GE Aerospace’s biggest engine order. The airlines’ move is prompted by flight conditions, i.e., operating in the demanding weather conditions of the Gulf states.
The agreement is part of President Trump’s Middle East economic diplomacy platform, where a string of commerce and defense agreements is being signed with the Gulf nations. The Qatar-Boeing agreement was termed as a robust indication of the enhanced economic relationship between Qatar and the US. The agreement will also generate thousands of jobs in both nations and solidify America’s leadership in regional skies.
For Qatar Airways, this kind of radical expansion in its fleet is also part of its thrust to be even more competitive in the world. The new aircraft will cut fuel consumption, passenger comfort, and capacity for long-haul flights. It will be phased in over a series of deliveries over several years that will enable the airline’s growth strategy and cement Qatar’s determination to remain at the leading edge of world aviation.
