Qatar Airways to replace all Airbus A330s in 3 years: Al-Baker

*National carrier to replace all its Airbus A330s with Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the next three years having already phased out its Airbus A340s

Qatar Airways will replace all its Airbus A330s with Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the next three years, group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker has said.

The national carrier has already phased out its Airbus A340, al-Baker said in an interview with Gulf Times here.

“The A340s have been replaced by Airbus A350s,” al-Baker said.

Last year, the airline became the world’s launch customer of the Airbus A350-1000. In 2014, the airline became the global launch customer of the Airbus A350-900, the world’s first airline to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airliner portfolio.

In January 2015, Qatar Airways deployed its world-first, Airbus A350 XWB aircraft on the Frankfurt route and in 2016; it became the first airline to fly the A350 family of aircraft to three continents.

“From 2024, our fleet will consist of Boeing 777s and 787s and Airbus A350s and A321s. At that time, there will not be any more Airbus A320s and A319s in our fleet,” the group CEO revealed.

Al-Baker said Qatar Airways long-haul routes such as the Americas and Asia-Pacific region would be served by its Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s.

Asked how many new aircraft would be added to the Qatar Airways fleet until the year-end, he said, “We will add around 20 passenger aircraft. It will be mostly Airbus, except may be for one or two Boeing.”

“Four freighters, B777s, will be delivered to us before the year-end and that will be added into the Qatar Airways Cargo fleet,” al-Baker said.

On the “load factor,” al-Baker said, “By the grace of God, we are doing very good now.”

Asked what has brought back the passengers, he said, “People choose to travel…and aeroplanes are the fastest means of travel.”

When referred to the presence of other “global super-connectors” in the Gulf region, al-Baker said, “But people want efficient airport, efficient airline, and good value for money and good service. All these we provide in Qatar.”

Asked when Qatar Airways Group expects to release its financial report for the fiscal 2018-19, al-Baker said, “Once we have finished our audit, we will release our accounts…may be around July.”

The national carrier serves more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 240 aircraft.

Qatar Airways Cargo serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide through its world-class Doha hub.