(Boursier.com) — Qatar Airways wants new planes. The Gulf carrier has submitted a request for proposals to Boeing And Airbus with a view to a “big” new order for devices. “We have launched a tender to create some competition between the two suppliers,” Badr Al Meer told ‘CNBC’, without disclosing details. “We will follow the process and, with such a large order, we must take our time,” said the new CEO of Qatar Airways.
While the two manufacturers each encounter various problems, the manager affirmed: “we are affected when our planes are not delivered on time… I know that Airbus and Boeing have certain problems. We have full confidence in both organizations and they are strong enough to overcome these problems.” B.Al Meer added that he was “110% confident” that Boeing makes safe planes.
The former boss of Doha Hamad International Airport wants to improve its service offering and capitalize on the momentum following the World Cup in Qatar, which enabled the airline to generate a record net profit of 1.21 billion dollars in fiscal year 2022-23, as well as the highest yields and load factors in its history. “The markets we want to expand into are China, India, Australia, Japan, Korea and a few others,” he said. He separately highlighted that regional demand for flights is high and passenger numbers have increased by more than 30% over the past four months, while growth forecasts are expected “to be more stable below 10% at 15 % ” for the rest of the year.
Additionally, B.Al Meer confirmed to CNBC that Qatar Airways is currently developing a high-efficiency first class concept for its cabins. “We wanted to combine the experience of commercial flying and private jet flying and develop something new… We are 70 or 80% ready. We are only finalizing the colors and small touches, but hopefully we We can announce it very soon.
Finally, Badr Al Meer does not rule out the company’s future arrival on the stock market. “We might consider it in the near future.” However, he stressed that the decision would be up to Qatar Airways’ stakeholders and the Qatari government.
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