Qatar Airways is on the cusp of a large Boeing widebody aircraft order that looks set to be announced when President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, according to Bloomberg.
The news outlet reported that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are all lining up investment announcements for when the US president visits from May 13, 2025.
Bloomberg said that the “final touches” on a Qatar Airways order were being formulated which would see around 100 Boeing widebody jets join the carrier, with an option for around 100 more.
News of the imminent agreement was understood to have come from people familiar with the process.
On March 4, 2025, Reuters reported that Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Thierry Antinori had indicated to the news outlet that the wheels were in motion for a new aircraft agreement.
“To secure the growth of tomorrow by continuing to have a very strong and the best fleet in the industry, our CEO is working on the RFP (request for proposal) with the aircraft manufacturer to place a big order soon,” Antinori said at the time.
However, the Qatar Airways executive would not say whether a potential deal was on the cards with Boeing or Airbus, or a combination of the two.
President Trump will first visit Saudi Arabia to hold talks with the country’s de-facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
The president will then travel to meet the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani followed by Emirati President Mohammed Bin Zayed in the UAE.
