With US president Donald Trump watching, the chief executives of Boeing and Qatar Airways signed a deal under which the Doha-based airline will purchase as many as 210 Boeing 787 and 777X widebody jets.
The agreement includes firm orders from Qatar Airways for 160 aircraft – among them 130 787s and 30 of Boeing’s in-development 777-9, according to the US company. Qatar Airways has also taken options to purchase a further 50 787s and 777X.
Additionally, Qatar Airways has ordered GE Aerospace turbofans, which will power the Boeing jets, according to the White House.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and Qatar Airways chief Badr Mohammed Al-Meer signed the agreement at a 14 May meeting in Qatar attended also by Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Trump is in Qatar to discuss expanding US-Qatar economic ties.
“Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, a $96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines,” the White House said on 14 May. “This is Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order.”
Speaking during the meeting in Qatar, Trump says the deal includes orders for 160 aircraft.
Qatar confirms it has ordered “210 Boeing widebody jets – 160 firm and 50 options – which is the largest widebody order and the largest 787 Dreamliner order in the American aerospace company’s history”.
“We are going to another level of relationship between Qatar and the United States,” says the Qatari emir.
Trump calls the Qatar Airways agreement “the largest ordering of jets in the history of Boeing”.
Turning to Ortberg, Trump says, “That’s a record, Kelly. That’s a congratulations to Boeing. Get those planes out there.”
GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp says, “We are extremely honoured to deepen our relationship with Qatar Airways and grateful to them for placing their trust in us with our largest-ever widebody engine deal.”
“We appreciate President Trump’s support for this historic agreement,” Culp adds.
The engine maker’s GE9X powers Boeing’s in-development 777X family of jets, while GEnx are a 787 power option alongside Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s.
The Boeing order is part of a broader $1.2 trillion economic deal that the White House says it struck with Qatar.
Prior to the order announcement, Qatar Airways had held unfilled orders for 94 Boeing 777X (including 34 777-8 Freighters and 60 777-9s) and 10 787-9s, according to data from Boeing and fleets analytics provider Cirium. The airline also holds orders for 25 737 Max.
Boeing aims to deliver its first 777-9 in 2026 and to later bring the 777-8F to market.
Story updated on 14 May to include details from Boeing, and corrected to note that Qatar Airlines took options for 50, not 60, widebody jets.
