Boeing Clinches Record 787 Jet Deal with Qatar Airways During Trump’s Middle East Visit
Source: F.M.I.E.
Key Highlights:
- Boeing has secured an agreement to sell up to 210 widebody aircraft to Qatar Airways — marking the largest order of its kind in the company’s history.
- 130 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 30 777-9 jets are part of the firm order, with options for 50 more aircraft.
- In a parallel move, Qatar Airways signed a deal with GE Aerospace for over 400 engines to power the newly ordered planes — the largest widebody engine deal in GE’s history.
- The signing took place at the Amiri Diwan in Doha during U.S. President Donald Trump’s official state visit to Qatar.
- Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, President Trump, and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani were present for the formal agreement ceremony.
Details:
The $96 billion deal, according to the White House, is expected to support 154,000 U.S. jobs annually and create over one million jobs overall. Boeing and Qatar Airways estimate the deal will contribute to around 400,000 jobs in the United States directly.
Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer emphasized the importance of the deal in modernizing the airline’s fleet, calling it a “critical step” in achieving “the cleanest, youngest and most efficient fleet in global aviation.”
Meanwhile, Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, called the deal a “record-breaking order” that “solidifies [Qatar Airways’] future fleet” with Boeing’s leading widebody models.
The agreement is a major boost for Boeing, which has faced intense scrutiny and operational challenges since 2018 — including safety concerns, production issues, cost overruns, and the impact of international trade tensions, especially with China.
The 777-9, a twin-engine aircraft seating 426 passengers, remains uncertified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and has yet to be delivered. It is part of Boeing’s next-generation 777X series.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham praised the deal, noting that the aircraft will be assembled at Boeing’s Charleston facility, calling it a “gamechanger” for the region.
This move nearly doubles Qatar Airways’ current fleet of 233 planes and underscores its ambitions to expand global connectivity.
However, the agreement may invite increased political scrutiny over Qatar’s recent offer to gift the U.S. a luxury 747 aircraft to serve as the new Air Force One — a move that President Trump has defended, but which has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers and some Republican figures over ethics and constitutionality.
Source: F.M.I.E.