Qatar Airways is looking to remove Boeing Co.’s 737-10 model from its order book because the plane no longer meets its fleet requirements.according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The airline, with an order for 25 737-10s, is considering switching to smaller 737-8s and would likely deliver those planes to partners such as RwandAir and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. who already use the model, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private negotiations.
The Gulf airline finalized the deal for the 737s in mid-2022 at a time when it was mired in a complicated dispute with Airbus SE which led to the cancellation of a purchase agreement for 50 A321 narrowbody aircraft.
The dispute, which originated with the largest model, the A350, was later settled out of court and Airbus reinstated the order, leaving Qatar in a bind for Boeing narrow-body jets it now no longer needs.
Qatar Airways declined to comment and a Boeing official said the manufacturer would defer to the customer.
In July, the airline’s chief executive, Badr Al-Meer, said relations with Airbus had improved and the planemaker was delivering planes ahead of schedule. Al-Meer replaced Akbar Al Baker, which had clashed with Airbus over peeling paint on larger A350 planes.
Qatar flies mainly long-haul models such as the Airbus A350, as well as Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft. As part of the shift toward smaller planes, the 737 Max, The company could also acquire more 787 aircraft from Boeing, the people said. The airline could also opt for the 777 freighter, another person said.
The 737 Max 10 is the largest variant of Boeing’s popular single-aisle aircraft family. Qatar Airways would join other airlines, such as United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Virgin Australia, which have canceled some orders for the long-backed Max 10.
The commercial debut of the model is not expected before the end of 2025, at best. Certification is years overdue as the U.S. manufacturer faces stricter regulatory scrutiny and a redesign of the jet engine’s anti-icing system.
Qatar Airways is separately working on a large order for new aircraft, which could be completed early next year.
