The Gulf airline has yet to reveal whether it would make the purchase order with Airbus, Boeing or both manufacturers.

Qatar Airways is set to place a major order for large aircraft, announced Thierry Antinori, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer.

“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 told Reuetrs.

Qatar Airways is preparing to announce a significant order for large aircraft, though Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has yet to confirm whether the deal will be with Airbus, Boeing, or a split order between both manufacturers.

Antinori also revealed that Qatar Airways has exceeded market growth in passenger numbers from April 2024 through January.

At the Farnborough Airshow in July 2024, CEO Badr al Meer hinted that the airline was considering a wide-body jet order, further fueling speculation about the upcoming contract.

Last month, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers and the Foreign Investment Review Board approved Qatar Airways’ purchase of a 25% stake in Virgin Australia (VA) from U.S. private equity giant Bain Capital.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also gave the green light for a wet lease agreement between QA and VA.

This opened up opportunities for both airlines to add 28 weekly return flights between Doha and major Australian cities, including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.

A wet lease agreement allows one airline, the lessor, to supply an aircraft – along with its crew, maintenance services, and insurance – to another airline or a business brokering air travel, known as the lessee.