Qatar Airways considers order for up to 30 freighters

Giant Doha-based airline Qatar Airways is considering a multibillion-dollar investment with a potential order for 30 plus pure freight aircraft from Boeing or Airbus according to Seeking Alpha and Reuters. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker has told Reuters that a cargo version of the 777X is now on the table as the airline weighs a freighter order from Boeing or Airbus. Qatar Airways has 30 freighters - mostly 777Fs. Mr. Al Baker has raised the prospect of a 777X freighter launch in response to an unspecified contractual dispute with Airbus says Seeking Alpha but "with Boeing, we have no issue, with Boeing, we have a large 777X order and we will take those airplanes," he says, without disclosing what the airline had proposed. "Qatar Airways is very interested in purchasing a large fleet of freighters because we have to now start replacing our old freighters," he said in an interview in St Petersburg with nasdaq.com. "We have our program of replacement over several years and we would be very keen to place an order with Boeing or with Airbus, it all depends on how things proceed."