Qatar Airways and the Acquisition of Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft
In April 2023, Qatar Airways made headlines by announcing the acquisition of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft originally intended for Russian customers but became undeliverable due to international sanctions. These aircraft had been ordered by S7 Airlines but were reassigned to Qatar Airways for delivery around mid-2023.
Deployment and Current Utilization
- The aircraft identified as A7-BSG and A7-BSE were either delivered to or were in the process of being delivered to Royal Air Maroc.
- Another aircraft, A7-BSC, is stationed at Shannon Airport, likely undergoing repainting for a new livery.
Reasons Behind the Orders
The decision by Qatar Airways to order these Boeing 737 MAX jets came after a disagreement with Airbus, which resulted in the cancellation of an order for 50 A320s. This dispute arose from Qatar Airways’ initial refusal to accept additional A350s from Airbus.
Future Prospects
Upon reconsideration, Airbus reinstated the original order, leaving Qatar Airways with an excess of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft they neither needed nor initially wanted.
With Boeing’s current production backlog, Qatar Airways is unlikely to face significant challenges in reselling or reallocating these aircraft, or possibly even cancelling additional orders aligned with their latest acquisitions.
