Qatar Airways Remains Committed To Its Boeing 777X Order

On Tuesday, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker confirmed his airline would be taking the full 60 of the Boeing 777X it has on order. The deliveries of Boeing’s latest version of the widebody jet to Doha will begin in 2022 and stretch throughout 2029.

周二，卡塔尔航空公司(Qatar Airways)首席执行长阿克巴尔•贝克(Akbar Al Baker)证实，该公司将接收订单中的全部60架波音777X飞机。波音最新型号的宽体喷气式飞机将于2022年开始向多哈交付，并将持续到2029年。

Deliveries through 2029

交付持续至2029

It looks as if Boeing is keeping Qatar Airways as a customer for at least a while longer. The Gulf carrier and the American planemaker seem to have finally reached an agreement on delaying aircraft deliveries.

看起来，波音至少还会在很长一段时间内保持卡塔尔航空公司的客户地位。这家海湾航空公司和美国飞机制造商似乎终于就推迟飞机交付达成了协议。

In a statement to AirlineRatings.com, Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker said today that his airline would take all 60 of the new Boeing 777Xs it has on order.

在对AirlineRatings.com网站的声明中，卡塔尔首席执行官阿克巴尔·艾尔·贝克今天表示，他的航空公司将承接已订购的全部60架新型波音777X飞机。

“It is a very good airplane and we will take them all for fleet replacements,” Mr Al Baker told the outlet. “We are happy it has been delayed, otherwise we would have been taking delivery during COVID-19.”

“这是一种非常好的飞机，我们将全部接收去替换机队，”阿尔•贝克对该媒体表示。“我们很高兴它拖期了，否则我们会不得不在疫情期间接收。”

The Qatar CEO further stated that the first 777X will now arrive in Doha in 2022, with deliveries stretched out to 2029. They will gradually replace Qatar’s existing fleet of 57 777s.

卡塔尔首席执行官进一步表示，第一批777X将于2022年抵达多哈，交付时间将延长至2029年。它们将逐渐取代卡塔尔现有的57架777飞机。

As Qatar Airways recently reached a deal with Airbus for deferral of deliveries due to the effects of the pandemic, Mr Al Baker did not mince words for how lack of flexibility from the manufacturers’ side would impact any future relationship. It is good to know the situation with Boeing now seems amicable.

由于疫情的影响，卡塔尔航空(Qatar Airways)最近与空中客车(Airbus)达成了推迟交货的协议。对于制造商方面缺乏灵活性将如何影响未来的任何关系，贝克直言不讳。令人欣慰的是现在与波音的关系似乎很友好。

Second-largest 777X customer

777X第二大客户

This reaffirmed commitment means that Qatar is still in line to be the second-largest operator of the Triple Seven X. Even though Qatar’s Gulf-competitor Emirates has transformed its initial order for 150 to 115 plus some 787-9 Dreamliners, it remains the plane’s largest customer.

这一重申的承诺意味着，卡塔尔仍将是777X飞机的第二大运营商。尽管卡塔尔在海湾地区的竞争对手阿联酋航空(Emirates)已将最初的订单从150架改为115架再加上一些787-9梦幻客机，但它仍是777X飞机的最大客户。

While Emirates is most likely keen to wrestle its pre-pandemic title of the “world’s largest international carrier” back from Qatar, it will endeavour to do so with a slightly smaller seat capacity than intended.

尽管阿联酋航空很可能急于从卡塔尔夺回疫情爆发前“全球最大国际航空公司”的头衔，但它将努力以比预期略小的座位容量实现这一目标。

Program delays

项目拖期

Of course, for the delay of the initial delivery of the new version of Boeing’s top-selling widebody aircraft, no special deals need to be made. The first jet was originally intended for delivery to launch customer Lufthansa in 2021. However, durability issues with the GE Aviation GE9X engines, the largest ever on a commercial airliner, delayed the program.

当然，波音公司最畅销的新型宽体飞机首架交付延迟，不需要进行特别的交易。第一架飞机最初打算在2021年交付给客户汉莎航空。然而，通用航空GE9X发动机的耐久性问题导致该计划推迟。这款发动机是商用客机上最大的发动机。

Boeing had initially intended to perform the first test-flight in mid-2019. Meanwhile, due to the engine troubles and a massively failed stress test that ripped the fuselage apart, it was pushed back until early 2020. Meanwhile, the manufacturer now has three of the planes up in the air, with the latest one meant to go to Lufthansa.

波音最初打算在2019年年中进行首次试飞。与此同时，由于引擎故障和大规模压力测试失败撕裂了机身，因此被推迟到2020年初。与此同时，制造商现在有三架飞机在空中飞行，最新的一架将交付汉莎航空公司。

What do you think of Qatar’s decision to stand by its large 777X order? Is it the right choice under current circumstances? Will we see further delays or will Boeing make the 2022 deliveries? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.