Qatar Airways Takes Delivery of 4 New Planes

Qatar Airways said it had taken delivery of four new aircrafts, to take the airline's total fleet to 76. Qatar Airways currently has outstanding orders for more than 220 aircraft worth more than $40bn with a planned delivery schedule of more than one new aircraft a month over the next few years. The company said in a statement that the new aircraft deliveries will "replace older aircraft and boost the fleet to maintain a young and modern portfolio of planes".

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said deliveries of the latest aircraft demonstrated a commitment by the airline to develop its fleet size and continue to offer the travelling public with the latest inflight features.

"Today's consumer is becoming more demanding and, we at Qatar Airways, recognise the need to remain at the forefront of the aviation industry by flying modern aircraft and offer the best levels of comfort and inflight amenities," he said.

"The additional Airbus A320s and A321s give Qatar Airways a firm footing in the rapid development and expansion of our regional network, while the Boeing 777s are quickly emerging as the backbone of our long-haul and ultra long-haul flying programme," he added.

"Our latest order demonstrates Qatar Airways' strong commitment towards continuing its aggressive global expansion strategy. Despite the current economic climate hanging over many economies around the world, Qatar Airways continues to build on a clear long-term strategy to develop its operations globally."

The latest arrivals round off a busy year for the airline, which saw the delivery of a total of 11 new aircraft, the launch of four new routes - Houston, Melbourne and two Indian destinations of Amritsar and Goa and the ordering of 24 Airbus A320 aircraft. - Arabian Business