Boeing wins $18b Qatar Airways deal in blow to Airbus

Boeing landed an $18.6b deal with Qatar Airways for as many as 100 aircraft, providing a sales boost to the US company’s upgraded 737 jetliner with one of the year’s largest commercial airplane deals. The carrier pledged to buy as many as 60 of the 737 Max 8 jet, valued at $6.9b at list prices, marking its first narrow-body order with Boeing since 1979. Qatar Airways also ordered 40 total 777 and 787 Dreamliner twin-aisle aircraft, Akbar Al Baker, the airline’s chief executive officer, and Boeing commercial airplane CEO Ray Conner said Friday. With the commitment, Al Baker made good on earlier threats to buy Boeing’s 737 Max after rejecting initial A320neo deliveries from Airbus Group SE because of engine issues. The transaction also provided a vote of confidence in the Boeing jet, which is on pace to begin commercial service months ahead of schedule in Q2 next year. Qatar Airways will take its first Max in 2018, Al Baker said in an interview. He insisted the decision to pivot to the rival Boeing model wasn’t intended as retaliation against the European planemaker. “There is no message to Airbus,” he said. “We don’t send messages by aircraft purchases to each other.”<br/>