It was hard to imagine that the Airbus A350 soap opera and its problems would not end with a rupture of relations between Qatar Airways and the European manufacturer. Very recently Airbus decided to unilaterally terminate Qatar’s outstanding order, and the operator responded with a video showing worn or broken A350 surfaces.
The prelude to those moves had been Airbus’ court filing and defense, and earlier Akbar Al Baker, Qatar’s CEO, had stated that the aircraft surface problems had «undermined confidence» in the model. It was only a matter of time before Boeing took advantage of the troubled waters and tried to save the 777X, whether in passenger or freighter version, a mutual rescue attempt, because the A350F was born more or less for the same reason, to sustain sales of the widebodies.
As reported by Reuters, Boeing is in advanced talks with Qatar Airways to secure an order for the 777X Freighter, and such a deal could materialize next week when the Qatari emir visits Washington.
Qatar Airways is considering refurbishing its existing fleet of some 34 freighters with the new, larger 777X version in a deal that could be worth $14 billion at list prices, about $7 billion considering the usual discounts for such acquisitions. Qatar had previously indicated it is willing to buy up to 50 freighters, with the larger number likely to include options.
The Qatar-Airbus soap opera now adds a new chapter: turning to the classic rival. Beyond the feeling of purchase out of spite, the 777X Freighter would be a natural evolution of Qatar Cargo’s fleet of mostly Boeing 777Fs.
It would be a great way for Boeing to reposition orders for the 777X, which had – and still has – a grim outlook unless it quickly lifts the backlog to a number that will allow it to recover development costs. And Airbus will watch one of its main customers go with another, even though it was a constant headache for the whole duration of the relationship.
