Qatar Airways Inks Record-Breaking Deal with Boeing

Qatar Airways has initiated a monumental purchase from American aerospace giant Boeing, ordering up to 210 jets. This staggering $96 billion agreement was announced by US President Donald Trump during his visit to the Middle East. According to the White House, this transaction is projected to support 154,000 US jobs annually throughout the jets’ production period, marking the largest order ever of the 787 Dreamliners, a wide-body jet designed for long-haul journeys.

At the time of writing, neither Qatar Airways nor Boeing have provided an immediate comment on this deal.

This agreement marks Boeing’s second significant deal announced during Trump’s trip, offering a substantial boost to the company as it strives to overcome previous manufacturing and safety setbacks. Earlier in 2024, a panel malfunction on one of its aircraft led to a substantial slowdown in production and caused the company to incur over $10 billion in losses last year.

Despite these challenges, Boeing’s stock has experienced a 20% rise since January, illustrating growing confidence in the company’s future. CEO Kelly Ortberg assured investors in April that their recovery strategy is progressing well, following the delivery of an unexpectedly high 130 aircraft in the year’s first quarter.

With a current backlog of 5,600 planes, which represents over seven years of production, the Qatar Airways deal, featuring 777X aircraft along with Dreamliners, forms part of a broader $240 billion “economic deals” package between the US and Qatar announced during the visit.

This deal further strengthens the enduring partnership between Boeing and Qatar Airways, which already operates a fleet of 150 Boeing aircraft and has over 130 more on order. “It’s the largest order of jets in Boeing’s history,” Trump remarked at the signing ceremony. “That’s a record, Kelly, and congratulations to Boeing. Let’s get those planes flying.”

During the same tour, Boeing also revealed a commitment from Saudi Arabia’s Avilease for 20 737 MAX planes, with options for 10 additional units. Meanwhile, British Airways’ parent company, IAG, announced earlier this month a $13 billion order for 32 787-10 aircraft, as part of a US-UK trade initiative unveiled by Trump. Deliveries for this batch are slated to begin in 2028.

Additionally, the US-China trade truce has alleviated pressure on Boeing, as Chinese clients had previously paused new aircraft deliveries due to rising tariffs. “Boeing’s turnaround has been challenging, especially following last year’s strike,” noted Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell. “Thus, this Qatar Airways agreement is a significant victory for Boeing, particularly given China’s recent decision to resume plane imports, for now.”